# Hamilton Pool Preserve > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hamilton_Pool_Preserve > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Hamilton_Pool_Preserve.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Pool_Preserve > Source revision: 1339897828 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Nature preserve near Austin, Texas}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Hamilton Pool Preserve | image_map = {{maplink-road|from=Hamilton-Pool.map}} | map_caption = | image = Hamilton Pool and Falls.jpg | image_caption = Waterfall during high water | coordinates = {{coord|30.34227|-98.12693|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | location = [Travis County, Texas](/source/Travis_County%2C_Texas), U.S. | nearest_city = [Bee Cave, Texas](/source/Bee_Cave%2C_Texas) | established = {{Start date|1985}} | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = [Travis County Parks](/source/Travis_County%2C_Texas) }} alt=Hamilton Pool Waterfall|thumb|A waterfall flows freely into Hamilton Pool, which is surrounded by a collapsed grotto|250x250px'''Hamilton Pool Preserve''' is a recreational destination located in the [Texas Hill Country](/source/Texas_Hill_Country) west of Austin. Reservations are required to visit, and it is open for hiking and sight-seeing. Hamilton Pool is a natural pool that was created when the dome of an underground [river](/source/river) collapsed due to massive [erosion](/source/erosion) thousands of years ago. The pool is located about {{convert|23|mile}} west of [Austin, Texas](/source/Austin%2C_Texas) off [Highway 71](/source/Texas_State_Highway_71). Since the 1960s, Hamilton Pool has been a popular summer swimming spot for Austin visitors and residents. Hamilton Pool Preserve consists of {{convert|232|acre|km2}} of protected natural habitat featuring a jade green pool into which a {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on}} waterfall flows with water temperatures reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit.{{cite news |url=https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/14-interesting-facts-about-Hamilton-Pool-6856799.php |last=Young |first=Jessica Hamilton |date=May 1, 2018 |title=14 interesting facts about Hamilton Pool |newspaper=[Houston Chronicle](/source/Houston_Chronicle) |access-date=July 16, 2019}} The pool is surrounded by large slabs of limestone that rest by the water's edge; large stalactites grow from the ceiling high above. The ceiling and surrounding cliffs of the grotto are home to moss, maidenhair fern and cliff swallows. The [Ashe juniper (cedar)](/source/Juniperus_ashei) uplands of the preserve are home to the endangered [golden-cheeked warbler](/source/golden-cheeked_warbler).{{Cite web |first=Shannon D. |last=Moore |url=http://www.wildtexas.com/parks/hpp.php |title=Wild Texas Parks: Hamilton Pool Preserve |website=Wild Texas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718172550/http://www.wildtexas.com/parks/hpp.php |archive-date=July 18, 2010}} The natural pool and creek are not chemically treated, so water quality is monitored regularly and swimming is occasionally restricted. Hamilton Pool is part of the [Balcones Canyonlands Preserve](/source/Balcones_Canyonlands_National_Wildlife_Refuge) and is a protected environment. ==History== [[Image:Taxodium distichum.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[Bald Cypress](/source/Taxodium_distichum) trees growing along the small stream draining Hamilton Pool]] Prior to the 19th century, the [Tonkawa](/source/Tonkawa) and [Lipan Apaches](/source/Lipan_Apache_people) lived in the area. In the mid-1860s, [Morgan C. Hamilton](/source/Morgan_C._Hamilton) owned the property now known as Hamilton Pool Preserve. His brother, [Andrew Jackson Hamilton](/source/Andrew_Jackson_Hamilton), evidently visited the grotto while serving as Texas governor (1865–66). In the 1880s, the Reimers' family, immigrants from Germany, bought the property to raise sheep and cattle. Legend says that their eight-year-old son discovered the collapsed grotto. Although ranchers might have considered the grotto a safety hazard for their livestock, the Reimers soon realized its value as a recreational area and opened the property for public use. Around the turn of the 20th century, the site did not attract many visitors, but by the 1960s, and on into the 1980s, Hamilton Pool's popularity had increased. The land suffered from sheer numbers and few restrictions. In addition to impact from the visiting public, cattle, sheep and goats grazed the delicate ecosystem for several decades, resulting in changes to the native vegetation. In 1980, the [Texas Parks and Wildlife Department](/source/Texas_Parks_and_Wildlife_Department) cited Hamilton Pool as the most significant natural area in rural [Travis County](/source/Travis_County%2C_Texas). In 1985, Travis County purchased {{convert|232|acre|km2}} from the Reimers family and implemented an aggressive land management plan to restore Hamilton Pool. Now, as a result of the restoration plan, the ecosystems of Hamilton Pool are recovering. Ongoing land management practices at Hamilton Pool Preserve include prescribed burns, prairie restoration, endangered species surveys, biological inventories and water quality monitoring. In February 2021, a series of five winter storms,{{cite news |title=Comparing to Feb. 2021 |url=https://www.kxan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2022/01/1-31-FEB-COMPARE.jpg |work=[KXAN-TV](/source/KXAN-TV) |location=[Austin, Texas](/source/Austin%2C_Texas) |access-date=May 23, 2023}} including [Winter Storm Uri](/source/February_13%E2%80%9317%2C_2021%2C_North_American_winter_storm) and [Winter Storm Viola](/source/February_15%E2%80%9320%2C_2021%2C_North_American_winter_storm), swept through Texas in rapid succession. [Ice wedge](/source/Ice_wedge)s formed in the overhanging cliff and the frequency of [rockfall](/source/rockfall)s greatly increased, resulting in the closure of the pool itself.{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Peña |url=https://www.kxan.com/weather/hamilton-pool-is-still-open-despite-some-areas-remaining-closed/ |title=Hamilton Pool is still open, despite some areas remaining closed |date=August 30, 2021 |work=KXAN-TV |location=Austin, Texas}} A portion of pool re-opened for swimming in May 2022 but has intermittently closed since then due to high bacteria levels.{{cite news |first=Hannah |last=Ortega |url=https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/hamilton-pool-reopens/269-28f98f46-5e3c-49c2-8962-5947b249126e |title=Hamilton Pool reopens ahead of July Fourth weekend |work=[KVUE](/source/KVUE) |location=Austin, Texas |date=July 2022}} The trail underneath the overhang remains closed. ==Ecology== The preserve is home to the chatterbox orchid (''[Epipactis gigantea](/source/Epipactis_gigantea)'') and the eastern red bay (''[Persea borbonia](/source/Persea_borbonia)''). ==Filming location== The 1990 movie ''[The Hot Spot](/source/The_Hot_Spot)'', the 2007 film ''[Teeth](/source/Teeth_(2007_film))''{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} the 2010 film ''[Predators](/source/Predators_(2010_film))'',{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} the 2011 film ''[The Tree of Life](/source/The_Tree_of_Life_(film))'', and the 2015 music video for the song "Charlie Gray" by the Dallas-based indie-rock band Valise all filmed scenes at Hamilton Pool. ==Access== Hamilton Pool is open every day for hiking and sight-seeing. Reservations are required for entry and these are made online through the Travis County Hamilton Pool Preserve Website. The online reservation fee is $12. Additionally, there is an $8 Travis County Park entry fee per person, with various discounts for seniors, disabled veterans.{{cite web |url=https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/parks/hamilton-pool-preserve |title=Hamilton Pool Preserve |website=Travis County Parks |publisher=[Travis County, Texas](/source/Travis_County%2C_Texas) |access-date=May 23, 2023}} ==See also== * [List of waterfalls](/source/List_of_waterfalls) ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{Commons category}} * {{Official website|https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/find-a-park/hamilton-pool|Travis County Parks, Tx: Hamilton Pool Preserve, official website}} * [http://www.texasoutside.com/hamiltonpool.htm Texas Outside: Hamilton Pool] * [http://www.austinexplorer.com/Locations/ShowLocation.aspx?LocationID=1361 Austin Explorer: Hamilton Pool Preserve] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20211202100335/http://www.crakeproductions.com/centraltexas/HamiltonPool.html Crake Productions: Central Texas; Hamilton Pool Preserve] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100718172550/http://www.wildtexas.com/parks/hpp.php Wild Texas: Hamilton Pool Preserve] * [https://archive.today/20121217135032/https://plus.google.com/photos/105947199624148261434/albums/5776979920447239681?banner=pwa Pictures of Hamilton Pool by Brian P. Barnes] Category:Waterfalls of Texas Category:Protected areas of Travis County, Texas Category:Nature reserves in Texas Category:Landforms of Travis County, Texas --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Hamilton Pool Preserve](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Pool_Preserve) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Pool_Preserve?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.