The Texas Hill Country has so many great swimming holes, but undoubtedly one of the best is Jacob’s Well, located just north of Wimberley, Texas, and a 45-minute drive southwest from Austin. This spot has become so popular that just like the famous Hamilton Pool nearby, the Parks Department had to start instituting reservations for visitors. So, if you’re planning to be in the Austin or San Antonio area and want to take a day trip to Jacob’s Well Natural Area, make sure to follow all these steps and plan ahead so that you don’t miss out!
When Can You Visit Jacob’s Well?
Swimming at Jacob’s Well is only allowed from May 1 through September 30 and is by reservation only. Jacob’s Well Natural Area is open daily (except certain holidays) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. all year round. Jacob’s Well Natural Area is just over 81 acres large, and the swimming hole is just a small part of it!
Which leads me to…
How Do You Make a Reservation for Jacob’s Well?
Reservations for swimming at Jacob’s Well can be made at this website run by the Hays County Park Department. You pay in full online at the time of booking, and all sales are final (no refunds or rainchecks, date transfers, etc). I recommend booking as far in advance is possible, usually at least a few weeks out. Weekends even further out! This is a very popular swimming spot for locals of Central Texas and tourists alike, and it can book out months in advance for certain dates.
The cost to swim is $9 per adult, $5 for children ages 5-12 and seniors over 60 (and military/veterans), and free for children under 5. The price is only for swimming, so if you just want to hike around the natural area, that’s actually free! Parking is also free, so no need to worry about that (although do note – if the parking lot becomes full at peak summer times, they will turn away visitors without swimming reservations).
Each reservation is a 2-hour time block, so if you show up late, you will be let in, but you’ll be cutting short your own swimming time! After each 2-hour block is up, they clear everyone out of the area to allow the next group in.
Another way to visit is via a guided morning tour that they have on offer not during summer by request. The guided tours last around an hour and take you around different nature trails of the area. You’ll learn about the history of Jacob’s Well, the aquifer system that sustains it, and about the local wildlife and vegetation there. The guided morning tours are FREE and available on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month at 9 a.m. by request only at katherine.sturdivant@co.hays.tx.us or call (512)-214-4593. Please note though, the tours are only available NOT during the summer when swimming is open, and this is a totally different thing than swimming reservations! And you need to reach out more than 24 hours in advance to arrange the tour.
Tips for Visiting Jacob’s Well
- What a lot of people don’t realize is that you have to go on a short hike down from the parking lot to reach the swimming hole, so you’ll want to budget time and be prepared to make the trek. While it isn’t too far, it does take about 15 minutes and is a bit steep at times.
- Bring a lot of water! Texas in the summer is HOT and you do have to walk to the swimming hole! You do NOT want to run out of drinking water down there. Same goes for snacks if you need them. There are no services provided down there (and no public drinking fountain).
- I highly recommend water shoes. It’s not super comfortable to walk around the area barefoot when you’re down by the water, so swimming shoes will be a big help. While you can make the hike down in sandals, I also do recommend proper footwear for the walk, just to be safe.
- There are stairs and hills, so this is not a stroller-friendly activity.
- There is no lifeguard on duty.
- Wear sunscreen and bring sunscreen down with you. And towels. Like I said y’all, the sun is strong down here. Be prepared for it to be over 100°F on a hot summer’s day.
- Some examples of important things not allowed include: glass containers, alcohol, pets, and drones
Fun (And Tragic) Facts About Jacob’s Well
- Jacob’s Well is the second-largest fully submerged cave in Texas! The deepest part of the cavern system goes to a depth of 140 feet, and the main cavern length is 4,341 feet.
- From the surface, the 12-foot opening makes for a popular jumping spot and is the main attraction for visitors to Jacob’s Well. That surface opening continues vertically about 23 feet down (so you won’t hit the bottom when you jump into the blue hole), before continuing at an angle through different parts of the cave system until it reaches its max depth.
- Because of the beauty of the underwater caverns, Jacob’s Well has long held a dangerous allure to divers. But the narrow passages, “false chimney” (a fake exit, basically), and poor visibility in tighter spaces make it a harrowing dive even for experts. And over the years, at least 8 people have died exploring the caves. Because of the previous deaths at Jacob’s Well, recreational scuba diving is not allowed, but occasionally freedivers still make their way down. Due to the deaths that have occurred at Jacob’s Well, it has been called Texas’ most dangerous diving spot, and one of the most dangerous diving spots in the world.
- The Well is an artesian spring that releases thousands of gallons of water every day, coming from the Trinity Aquifer through the cave system. The water stays at 68°F all year-round. Jacob’s Well is also the headwaters of Cypress Creek (which also flows through the popular Wimberley swimming spot nearby called Blue Hole Regional Park) and deposits into the Blanco River.
- I couldn’t find much information on it, but I read that the local Native tribes considered the Well to be sacred grounds. Three of the most prominent tribes in this area during the 1850s when the Well was “discovered” by William C. Winters were the Tonkawa, Jumano, and the Comanche. Prior to Texas becoming a state, most of the Native Americans were either eradicated or removed, and because of this, only three reservations still exist in all of Texas today: the Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation near Houston and the Tiguas and the Kickapoo in the valley of the Rio Grande (and none remain in the Texas Hill Country where Jacob’s Well is).
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