Krause Springs – A Beautiful Natural Spring Swimming Hole in Texas

There are so many amazing swimming holes in the Texas Hill Country and Krause Springs is one of the best! It is located near the town of Spicewood which is near Lake Travis. It is only about 30 miles northwest of Austin.

It was so pretty at the Krause Springs swimming hole! When you enter the natural pool area you feel as if you have gone from the hills of Texas into a tropical paradise. We absolutely loved our visit here. The water is refreshing and the grounds are gorgeous. There are plenty of springs and nature to experience at Krause Springs.

NOTE: Nature is in charge at Krause Springs and has recently rearranged some of the rocks and waterfalls. I have both current and older photos on this post which explains why certain things might not look the same.

About Krause Springs Swimming Hole

The Krause family has owned the springs for more than 50 years. It is 115 acres and listed on the National Registry of Historical Sites.

There is more than just 1 spring!

When you see photos of Krause Springs you almost always see the part of the swimming hole that has a little waterfall with water from a spring above trickling off the hill into a natural pool. However, there are actually 32 springs on the property! Some of the springs feed a man-made pool and some feed a natural pool which leads to Lake Travis.

How cold is the water in Krause Springs?

It was almost 90 degrees the day in April that we visited Krause Springs and honestly the water was still a little cold to us. As you can see that didn’t stop us from jumping in!

They say that the water is about 68 degrees all the time so I can only imagine how refreshing it would feel on a hot Texas day in July or August.

Where do you swim?

You can choose to swim in the spring fed but man-made pool or the natural pool that forms a swimming hole and a stream that leads to Lake Travis. The man-made pool is clearer and sometimes cooler. The natural pools can be clear or murky depending on the weather and amount of rain that the area has had.

Large rocks and some grassy areas surround the natural pools giving you a place to sit or sunbathe and large trees provide a bit of shade on a hot day.

There is also a rope swing in the spring for a little extra fun!

Butterfly Garden

There is a butterfly garden near the office of the springs complex. It is a pretty place with lots of plants and some benches. They also have wind chimes which makes this a perfect place to escape from it all.

What is the cost of admission to Krause Springs

For day use it is $9 for adults 12 and over and $5 for kids 5-11 and free for kids under 5. They prefer that you use cash, but credit cards are accepted.

Do you have to have a reservation to enter Krause Springs?

You do not have to have a reservation for day use of Krause Springs! This is rare among the swimming holes in Texas.

Is Krause Springs open year round?

Many of the springs in the area have to close during times of drought because they either stop flowing or become stagnant.

The Springs that at Krause Springs flow constantly even during times of extreme drought. Because of this the pools have water flowing through them non-stop which keeps the water from becoming stagnant and allows swimming year round.

However, the family does close Krause Springs for some time in the winter in order to do maintenance and property improvements, and to get a little bit of rest! If you are traveling during the months from November through February be sure and check whether or not the springs are open.

Camping

Krause Springs offers both primitive tent camping and RV hookups. The tent camping is available on a first come first serve basis, but you do have to make reservations for RV camping. There are electrical hookups for RV camping and if you want to tent camp with electricity you can reserve one of the RV sites for your tent.

Be sure and check the rates for RV and tent camping.

What Should you Bring to Krause Springs?

• You can bring your own float or inner tube and they even have an air pump on site
• Snacks and Drinks
• Sunscreen
• Water shoes (the rocks get slippery)
• A towel

Tip: Definitely bring a float or tube. We didn’t have ours and it seemed that everyone else who was there the day we visited were using floats or inner tubes. I was jealous! It looked like such a relaxing and peaceful thing to do!

What should you NOT bring to Krause Springs?

• No glass bottles – you can bring beverages but nothing in glass.
• Loud music – loud music is not allowed.
• Your pets. No animals are allowed.

Bathroom Facilities

There are bathroom facilities with toilets, sinks, and showers. Do note that the showers use fresh spring water and are not heated.

Can you Bring your Own Food to Cook?

There are BBQ pits available in the day use area. You can bring your own wood or buy a bundle of wood from the office. NOTE: This area of Texas does experience frequent drought conditions and during times of drought burn bans may be issued. A burn ban would mean that no open fires are allowed.

I’ve heard that Krause Springs can get very busy on the weekends during the summer months. We were there on a weekday in April and there was a lot of privacy. It was so relaxing and beautiful! We definitely recommend a visit to Krause Springs!

Have fun swimming and let us know what you think! Check out our post on more of the best swimming holes in the hill country of Texas!

Thanks for stopping by!