[Editor's Note: Many of the locations described below are on private property where trespassing is forbidden. The Citysearch.com staff strongly advises all readers to stay away from these swimming holes. We're only presenting this story so our readers know where NOT to go. That's the whole reason. Honest.]
Over the past few years, summer in Austin has been feeling an awful lot like summer in Death Valley, with the mercury pushing up into the low triple digits and humidity that makes you wish that Apple would design some sort of waterproof PowerBook you could just drag into the shower with you.
For longtime Austinites like myself, it's not helping matters much that our fair city's population has been climbing right alongside the mercury. How many times have you grabbed Fido, climbed in the car, and sped off to your favorite swimming hole only to find it more crowded than a Dell water cooler at coffee break? The horror, the horror.
So, with an eye toward thinning the herd at Barton Springs, here's our semi-super-secret guide to a few watering holes as-yet-unknown to Austin by and large. Some of them are off the beaten path, and some of them are...well, let's just say a "real" Austinite would never let a few No Trespassing signs prevent them from taking the plunge into an icy-cool pool of temperature-smashing agua fria.
Ready? Set? Dive!
Although it's now surrounded by sprawling apartment complexes and the offices of Cadence Design Systems, Quarry Lake, just west of the corner of Braker Lane and Seton Center Parkway, off Highway 183, was once the place for late-night skinny dipping and Saturday afternoon tomfoolery.
Fed by a natural spring, this giant hole in the ground (rumor has it as deep as 300 yards, but no one really seems to know for sure) is said to have filled up overnight when one of the mining operation's bulldozers dug just a tad too deep, resulting in an instant mini-lake with a full complement of rusting cranes, cars, and 'dozers cluttering its bottom.
True story? Who knows. Midnight swim parties still take place regularly in the placid, temperate waters, with the 40-plus-foot south face providing ample cliffs to cannonball off of. Drawbacks include the occasional security guard bum-rushing your show and an all-too-easy-to-circumvent fence that runs the length of the perimeter. Signs clearly mark Quarry Lake as "Posted" so be advised.
If legality is more your speed, why not check out Twin Falls, nestled in the Greenbelt off of the southbound Mopac feeder road at the intersection of Mopac and Highway 360 (just south of Barton Springs Mall). Austinites regularly flock here throughout the summer, but the best time to check this place out is after a hard rain when the creek bed and adjoining swimming holes--and rushing micro-falls--are bursting at the seams with crystal-clear runoff from who knows where. A sloping, quarter-mile trail through the woods will pump up your cardiovascular system on the way, making you feel like the lost Marx Brother Wimpo, but once immersed in the sparkling waters, all your cares seem to drift downstream (where, presumably, they collect near Bastrop).
Bull Creek, 1.5 miles past the intersection of 2222 and 360 (Capital of Texas Highway), is another forgotten favorite, an ideal spot for both waterlogged explorers and their canine pals. Although Bull Creek itself extends for miles, the snug pools and lengthy trails nestled just off of Highway 360 make for excellent summertime dips, not to mention a friendly, relaxed atmosphere for makeshift barbecues and romantic interludes. Like Twin Falls above, this is one watering hole that relies heavily on rainfall to keep it afloat, so check it out after those pesky thunderstorms roll through.
Finally, the big one: infamous Acid Rock, located off Comanche Trail on the hills beneath everyone's favorite sunset-gawking restaurant, The Oasis. It's legendary not only for the 70-degree slopes you'll need to traverse to reach it, but also due to its spectacular, graduated diving cliffs and the pristine inlet it overlooks. Like Quarry Lake, your appearance here may make the LCRA peeved, but that hasn't stopped the many hardy folks that brave the heroic downward slope to frolic alongside the water skiers and recreational boatheads below. Be advised the walk back up is breathtaking (and I'm not just speaking of the view, which, by the way, is phenomenal). And while you're at it, why not track down one of your old South Austin hippie friends and ask him why they call it "Acid Rock"? You'll be glad you did.
