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Sport & OutdoorLocal GemFamily Favorite

Barton Springs Pool

2201 Barton Springs Rd · Austin, TX

Why you should go…

Barton Springs Pool is a three-acre, spring-fed pool inside Zilker Park that stays around 68 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. It has been a swimming spot for over a century and draws lap swimmers, families, and sunbathers along its grassy banks. Lifeguards are on duty during regular operating hours.

  • #swimming
  • #spring-fed
  • #outdoors
  • #park
  • #summer

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Barton Springs Pool, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Zilker Park

    Free

    351 acres of green space along Lady Bird Lake, home to Barton Springs and the Zilker Botanical Garden.

    0.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail

    Free

    A 10-mile loop around the water where half of Austin seems to run, walk, or paddleboard.

    1.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Theatre & Events
    Iconic

    ACL Live at the Moody Theater

    $25–$50

    The downtown venue where Austin City Limits is taped, and a working concert hall most other nights.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Theatre & Events

  • Tours
    Family Favorite

    Lone Star Riverboat Bat Cruise

    Under $25

    Watch the Congress Avenue bat colony take flight from the water on an evening riverboat cruise.

    1.5 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Shopping
    Local Gem

    South Congress Avenue

    Free

    Boutiques, food trailers, and the famous Hi, How Are You mural line this walkable strip south of the river.

    1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Congress Avenue Bridge Bats

    Free

    Up to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats stream out from under this bridge every summer evening.

    1.6 mi awayMore like this