|
Hamilton Pool Preserve is a park west of Austin. It is an absolutely fabulous place to hike and observe what the power of water can do. The pool itself sits at the base of what must be a collapsed cave. Slabs of limestone line the pool both in and out of the water. There is usually a waterfall pouring into the pool from above, but today it was just a series of trickles thanks to the extended drought. I went to Hamilton Pool this morning, November 19, 2006, to take pictures for my website. The trail from the parking area is pretty steep and isn't for someone not used to hiking. At the bottom of the little valley you can turn right and take a short walk to the pool or turn left and have a half mile walk to the Pedernales River. The creek that runs from the pool to the river is lined with huge cypress trees. Today the needles were just about all off the trees. Having fallen into the water and on to the ground, the surface of the creek where it pools and the many boulders that line the creek were covered in light red. When it is warm enough you can swim in Hamilton Pool. The water is chilly and the pool can be treacherous. People should not jump off boulders into the pool as you can't tell what is under the water. Even though the water is a clear blue-green, the submerged rocks can be deceiving as to their depth. To get to Hamilton Pool, take Hwy 71 west of Austin. Just past the town of Bee Cave, turn left on Hamilton Pool Road. After you pass where 12 turns to the left, Hamilton Pool will be just over 5 miles ahead. If you plan on going, go early if you go in the summer as the park can get crowded. They shut down the entrance when the parking area is full. That is enough of a description. Time now for the photos to show off the park... By the way, all images are owned by Sam Chapman so consider them copyrighted. Any of these can be used by anyone as long as you give me specific credit and display my url, which is www.austinrealestateguy.com, in the credit. If you know of anyone needing to buy or sell a home in the Austin area, have them call me at 512-293-2422.
|