Barton Springs

Barton Springs is a natural spring complex in Travis County made up of five separate spring groups that hold a constant temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. The water forms a long, narrow swimming pool surrounded by limestone rock and lined with thick vegetation.

Native tribes including Caddo, Tonkawa, Apache and Comanche gathered at these springs before Spanish explorers documented the area in 1714. The springs later served as a strategic point on the Chisholm Trail from 1867 to 1895, linking cattle routes across the developing Texas territory.

The name honors an early settler who farmed land here starting in the 1830s and made the spring accessible to the public. Today swimmers come year-round because the water maintains an even, comfortable temperature that never shifts with the seasons.

Access runs through the adjacent Zilker Park grounds, which work well for a longer stay with picnicking or walking. Restroom facilities are available, and different depth sections make swimming comfortable for visitors with varying experience.

The springs provide a natural habitat for the Barton Springs Salamander, a species that exists only in these specific waters. This small salamander lives deep in the spring system and is found nowhere else in the world.