Texas has at least 13 documented springs, a mix of genuine hot springs in Big Bend and spring-fed swimming holes elsewhere. 13 charge an entry or day-use fee. Big Bend Hot Springs on the Rio Grande and Chinati Hot Springs near Presidio are the true geothermal soaks, while Barton Springs and Balmorhea are famous cool spring-fed pools built for swimming.
The genuine hot springs sit in far West Texas near Big Bend, where Big Bend Hot Springs and Langford Hot Springs form warm riverside pools on the Rio Grande, and Chinati Hot Springs near Presidio offers a remote desert soaking retreat.
Central Texas holds the state's famous spring-fed swimming holes, cool rather than hot, including Barton Springs Pool in Austin, Hamilton Pool Preserve, and Krause Springs in the Hill Country, all fed by the Edwards Aquifer.
West of the Hill Country, Balmorhea State Park holds one of the largest spring-fed swimming pools in the world, while state parks like Garner State Park add river-fed swimming across the warmer parts of Texas.
Texas has very few true hot springs, nearly all of them in remote Big Bend country along the Rio Grande. Most of the state's famous water is cool, from the spring-fed swimming holes of the Hill Country to the giant artesian pool at Balmorhea. Visitors seeking a warm soak head to the far west near Presidio and Big Bend, a long drive from the major cities, while the central swimming holes draw crowds through the hot Texas summer.
Highlights are drawn from the springs documented in this directory. Most are spring-fed swimming holes, with true hot springs limited to the Big Bend region.
Rio Grande hot spring: Big Bend Hot Springs sits on the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park, a historic warm riverside pool reached by a short trail, among the few true documented hot springs in our records in the state.
Remote desert soak: Chinati Hot Springs near Presidio is a secluded geothermal retreat in far West Texas, with warm soaking tubs and cabins deep in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Iconic spring-fed pool: Barton Springs Pool in Austin is a large cool spring-fed swimming pool fed by the Edwards Aquifer, holding a steady temperature year-round in the heart of the city.
Giant artesian pool: Balmorhea State Park holds one of the largest spring-fed swimming pools in the world, a cool desert oasis near the town of Balmorhea in West Texas.
Grotto swimming hole: Hamilton Pool Preserve near Austin is a collapsed-grotto pool fed by a waterfall, a cool Hill Country swimming hole requiring timed reservations.
Rio Grande park spring: Langford Hot Springs near Marathon is the historic bathhouse foundation soak in Big Bend National Park, a warm pool beside the Rio Grande reached by a short walk.
