Krause Springs

With words like, "Check this out, Mom. It is so beautiful" and "I am totally Indiana Jones", this place was obviously a huge hit with my boys!

Krause Springs is a small, privately owned slice of heaven just about thirty mintues outside of Austin in the town of Spicewood. Visitors can come for the day to enjoy the cool waters of the spring or camp overnight.

The property is on three levels, with the top-most including the parking lot, main house, camping spots and a beautiful butterfly garden.  

Down about thirty steps is a nice picnic area, with more than enough picnic tables planted beneath huge, shady cypress trees. 

Also on this level is a man-made swimming pool that is fed by spring water.  The pool isn't large, but it is nicely shaded and has an area in the back that is just perfect for jumping off.

With another forty or so steps down, you arrive at the main attraction, a natural pool fed from multiple springs in the area.  Huge cypress trees shade much of the cool pool, with waterfalls, and small streams.

The highlight of the pool is the rope swing - accessible by swimming across the pool and climbing a huge rock.  Not for the faint of heart :o) 

D jumped off immediately, but it took K a few tries to get up the nerve to do the high jump.  But after that, they climbed and jumped for over two hours!

Almost as cool, the springs have two caves to explore, one of which is located behind a water fall and is partially submerged so you can swim into it.  A little creepy, a lot exciting!

This is a place that can keep kids entertained indefinitely. 

If they tire of swimming, they can lounge around in the upper spring and watch the fish.

Or they can explore some of the back area of the pool.

Or just enjoy all of the natural life that seemed as attracted to the pool as we were. 

Tips and Thoughts

There are no provisions on site, so bring a cooler with drinks and picnic supplies ( no glass).  There is a bit of a hike down to the pool, so we just left our cooler on the second level and walked up to it at lunch time.

Bring rafts or tubes.  There is really not much more relaxing then floating in the cool waters in the shade of the cypress tree.  Plus, the raft is a good location to throw the rope swing back up to waiting jumpers.

The rocks are very slippery, so go carefully!  We did have a couple of spills, myself included, though nothing serious.

I first came here when my youngest was 4 years old.  At that age, the pool was a little more difficult to manage.  The slippery rocks and somewhat murky water make the parent of a novice swimmer somewhat nervous.  As do all of the nooks and crannies that they can disappear behind.  We had a good time then, but at 9 this place is perfect!