Barton Springs Pool
Barton Springs Pool is in Zilker Park, just across the lake from downtown. It is a popular place to hang out and swim in Austin.
It has some nice grassy areas to bask in the sun and some good play areas for young children to splash. The diving board in the middle seemed to be a hit. On the south end, you can enter it like a zero-entry pool or beach, but beware of the slippery algae. A kind experienced local swimmer there pointed out that there was a path that had been cleaned off (white rather than greenish) that wasn’t too slippery. We were very thankful, considering we didn’t want to drop our young children on the rocks.
You may have to be used to cooler water to enjoy swimming here. It wasn’t a problem for my kids after a few minutes, but I’m kind of a cold-water wimp, so I prefer a pool — or maybe a jacuzzi!
Pros:
Inexpensive
Grassy areas
Beautiful, surrounded by green trees
Nature experience, including small fish swimming around your feet
Zero entry on the sides
Great view of downtown
Conveniently located in Zilker Park
Cons:
Cold water (relative I know!)
Parking was pretty full
A bit of a walk to the kids area, which is tricky with little ones
Slippery
Algae floating around your legs
Posted: October 15th, 2008 under activities.
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