Barton Springs Pool: Hours, Fees and Tips for Austin’s Spring-Fed Pool

Barton Springs Pool is a three-acre, spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, run by the City of Austin and about 11 minutes from downtown Austin in Travis County. Its water stays at 68 to 70 degrees all year, so it works as a summer cool-off and a year-round swim. The one thing to know before going: it closes Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for cleaning.

On This Page

• Swimming at Barton Springs Pool
• Hours, Tickets and Fees
• Dogs and Barking Springs
• The Bathhouse, Springs and Salamanders
• Best Time to Visit
• What Visitors Say
• Getting There and Parking
• Know Before You Go
• Nearby Parks
• FAQ
• Sources and Official Links

Swimming at Barton Springs Pool

Barton Springs Pool is a natural pool on Barton Creek, fed by springs from the Edwards Aquifer. The City lists the water at 68 to 70 degrees year-round and the depth from 0 to 18 feet.

The pool has a grassy hillside on the south bank, big shade trees and a diving board at the deep end. Expect a cold shock for the first minute, then most swimmers settle in.

• Shallow end: the depth starts at 0 feet, and inflatables are allowed only in water 5 feet deep or less
• Deep end: the water drops to about 18 feet near the diving board, so weaker swimmers should stay shallow
• Footing: the bottom is natural rock and gravel with algae in places. Visitors repeatedly suggest water shoes
• Wildlife: fish, turtles and ducks share the pool, and the endangered Barton Springs salamander lives around the springs
• Night swims: the pool stays open until 10 p.m., and visitors like the evening skyline views

Lifeguards are on duty only during “guarded swim” hours. At other open hours, swimming is at the swimmer’s own risk. Details are on the City’s Barton Springs Pool page.

Hours, Tickets and Fees

Barton Springs Pool is open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for the Thursday cleaning closure. There are no reservations or timed entry. Tickets are sold online, in the City’s ATXSwims app and at both gates.

Hours

These are the hours the City posted on November 1, 2026. Last winter the City cut lifeguard hours to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with own-risk swimming until 10 p.m., by early December. Holiday hours for 2026–27 aren’t posted yet.

Entry Fees

The City charges entry from Austin ISD spring break through October 31. In 2026, charging started on March 14. The City’s fee page lists no charge outside that season, and visitors report free entry from November to March.

Honorably discharged veterans get in free. The Texas State Parks Pass doesn’t apply, since this is a City of Austin pool. Confirm current prices on the City pool fees page.

Buying Tickets

• Online: the City ticket portal sells day tickets after a free account sign-up. Show the ticket at the gate
• App: the ATXSwims app on Apple and Google Play. Activate the ticket on arrival; it lasts until the end of that day
• At the gate: card kiosks and a cash window at the north and south entrances
• Groups: groups of 6 or more on a one-time visit must file a one-day visit form with the City

Ticket trouble is the top complaint in reviews: kiosks, the app and the cash window have each failed at times. Buying in the app before arriving, and carrying cash as a backup, avoids most of it.

Dogs and Barking Springs

Dogs aren’t allowed at Barton Springs Pool. The City’s list of banned items starts with pets, and they can’t ride the Zilker Loop shuttle either.

Below the pool’s lower dam, the creek spillway that locals call Barking Springs is where people bring dogs to swim. It appeared as an off-leash area on the City’s 2023 off-leash map, but that map has been taken down and no current City page names it. Visitors describe it as free, unguarded and rowdy on summer weekends. Check with Austin Parks and Recreation before counting on it.

The Bathhouse, Springs and Salamanders

The 1947 Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse on the north side has been under renovation since February 2024. Its renovated restrooms, showers and changing areas reopened on October 28, 2025, entered from the pool side.

• Still closed: the rotunda entrance and the Beverly S. Sheffield Education Center, home of a free Edwards Aquifer exhibit. The City says fall 2026; KUT reported in October 2026 that it likely won’t reopen before December
• Wall repairs: work on the pool’s east retaining wall started September 8, 2026 and runs in phases into early 2027. The City removed 37 trees along that wall. Pool hours don’t change
• Changing space: the bathhouse restrooms and showers are on the north side, a walk around the pool from the south gate

The springs are also home to the Barton Springs salamander, a federally endangered species that lives in the gravel around the springs. The City runs the pool under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit, renewed in 2013 and good until 2033, and part of each entry fee goes to salamander conservation. More is on the City’s salamander page.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Barton Springs Pool is a weekday morning, when parking is free and the water is quiet. Summer weekends from late morning on are the busiest, with full lots and lines at the gate.

• Spring (March to May): fees start at spring break, which also brings college crowds. Water is the same 68 to 70 degrees, so the pool feels cold on cool days
• Summer (June to August): peak season. Lots fill by late morning; arrive before 10 a.m. or swim in the evening. Visitors report lifeguards clear the pool for lightning
• Fall (September to November): fees end October 31 and crowds thin. Austin City Limits Music Festival weekends in Zilker Park limit parking
• Winter (December to February): the quietest season. The pool stays open, and below 32°F it runs as own-risk swimming only; severe storms can close it

What Visitors Say

Barton Springs Pool averages 4.6 stars across about 11,000 Google reviews. The 948 reviews from November 2024 to November 2026 average 4.5, rising from 4.4 in the first year to 4.6 in the second as construction wound down.

• Cold, clear water: the most praised feature by far. Reviewers call it refreshing on a 100-degree day and can see fish and turtles underwater
• Ticket problems: broken kiosks, app failures and a cash-only window are the main complaints. They fell by about half in the second year, but an October 2026 visitor still couldn’t get in
• Parking: weekend parking is the second big complaint. Lots fill by late morning in summer and people circle the neighborhood
• Slippery spots: algae on the steps and in the shallow end trips people up. Water shoes come up again and again
• Rules at the gate: visitors learn about the no-food, no-cooler rule after walking from the car. Some find lifeguards strict about floats and the hill
• Atmosphere: topless sunbathing is common, mostly on the south hill, and the free spillway below the dam can get loud. A few families mention both
• Bathhouse: 2025 reviews describe portable toilets and fencing. Since late 2025, reviewers call the new restrooms clean, though a sewage smell near the north bathhouse was reported in fall 2026

Getting There and Parking

Barton Springs Pool sits in Zilker Park just southwest of downtown Austin, with two entrances and a parking lot at each. From downtown, take Lamar Boulevard south across Lady Bird Lake, turn right on Barton Springs Road, then left on William Barton Drive.

• North entrance: 2201 William Barton Drive, beside the bathhouse, restrooms and showers. Some City pages list it as 2131
• South entrance: 1000 Azie Morton Road, on the hillside side of the pool
• From downtown Austin: about 3.5 miles, about 11 minutes without traffic
• From San Antonio: about 79 miles, about 1 hour 35 minutes
• From Houston: about 165 miles, about 3 hours 5 minutes
• From Dallas: about 198 miles, about 3 hours 35 minutes

Parking and Transit

• Parking cost: free Monday to Friday. On weekends and holidays in the warm season the City charges $3 an hour per car; the pool page says March 1 to Labor Day, and the Zilker Park page says from spring break. Parking is free in November
• No reservations: all Zilker parking is first come, first served. Season pool passes include parking at both lots
• Bus: CapMetro Route 30 stops at Barton Springs (Zilker Park), about a 5-minute walk down William Barton Drive
• Big events: during the 2025 Austin City Limits festival, swimmer parking was only at the south lot. The Trail of Lights setup closes parts of Zilker Park through the holidays

Know Before You Go

Barton Springs Pool is a City pool with City rules and fees. These matter most.

• Fees and passes: $5 Austin resident or $9 non-resident per adult, spring break through October 31. An adult season pass is $190 resident or $280 non-resident and includes parking; a $34 punch card holds $40 of visits. See the City fee page
• Booking: no reservations. Same-day tickets online, in the ATXSwims app or at the gate (cards at kiosks, cash at the window)
• Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily; closed Thursdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Shorter lifeguard hours in winter

• Bring: swimsuit, towel or blanket, sunscreen, water shoes, and water in a resealable plastic bottle
• Not allowed: food, coolers and thermal bags, glass, alcohol, tobacco and smoking, pets, frisbees and hard balls, portable speakers and fishing gear. Anyone smoking or with an open container is turned away
• Closures: the pool closes after floods for cleanup (June 15 to 22, 2026) and for repairs (February 23 to March 20, 2026). No food is sold inside
• Accessibility: the steps and banks are uneven stone. The City doesn’t list a pool lift, so call ahead about access

Nearby Parks

These TrekTexas guides cover more places to swim and hike near Barton Springs Pool (road miles from the pool).

• McKinney Falls State Park: about 10 miles southeast, with Onion Creek falls, swimming at own risk and camping
• Emma Long Metropolitan Park: about 17 miles northwest, a City park on Lake Austin with a marked swimming area and campsites
• Hamilton Pool Preserve: about 29 miles west, a collapsed grotto swimming hole that needs a reservation
• Blue Hole Regional Park: about 39 miles southwest in Wimberley, a spring-fed swimming hole with a May to Labor Day swim season
• Pedernales Falls State Park: about 40 miles west, with limestone falls and river trails
• More parks around the city: Parks Near Austin

FAQ

Is Barton Springs Pool open in winter?

Yes. Barton Springs Pool is open year-round, and the water stays at 68 to 70 degrees. Entry is not charged outside the spring break to October season, but lifeguard hours are shorter.

Is Barton Springs Pool safe to swim in?

Yes, for confident swimmers. Lifeguards cover most open hours, but the deep end reaches about 18 feet, the rocks are slippery, and the City closes the pool after floods.

Can visitors swim at Barton Springs Pool at night?

Yes. The pool is open until 10 p.m. every day, including Thursday evenings after the cleaning closure.

Does the Texas State Parks Pass work at Barton Springs Pool?

No. Barton Springs Pool is run by the City of Austin, which sells its own season passes and punch cards good at every City pool.

Is Barton Springs Pool good for kids?

Yes, with close watching. The shallow upstream end and the float area suit young children, but the bottom is slippery and the water gets deep fast.

Sources and Official Links

Facts in this guide were last checked in November 2026 against these sources.

• Visit Barton Springs Pool and About Barton Springs Pool (City of Austin)
• Pool fees and rentals and pools and splash pads list (City of Austin)
• Buy tickets online (City of Austin)
• Parks and Recreation closures (City of Austin)
• Joan Means Khabele Bathhouse rehabilitation and retaining wall repair (City of Austin)
• Salamanders and Barton Springs (City of Austin Watershed Protection)
• Zilker Metropolitan Park (parking, transit and shuttle; City of Austin)
• Barton Springs Conservancy
• Bathhouse delays report (KUT, October 2026)

Featured photo: Heather Cowper, Flickr (CC BY 2.0), April 2012