TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
Custom Search
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

Travis County TX
Travis County

Texas Towns
A - Z
Austin Hotels

KRAUSE SPRINGS


Excerpts From
Splash Across Texas
THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO
SWIMMING IN CENTRAL TEXAS


by Chandra Moira Beal


Book Hotel Here › Austin Hotels
Take TX 71 west about seven miles past the Pedernales River. Turn right on Spur 191 at the Exxon station (it really sneaks up on you) and go about one mile. The road curves sharply to the left and you'll see a sign and driveway on your right just after you complete the curve. Turn right at the red arrow and sign for Krause Springs, then stay left at the fork in the road. It's 34 miles west of Austin.

Krause Springs is one of my favorite places on the entire planet. It is so wonderful, I was tempted to exclude it from this book and keep it all to myself. But that would not have been fair, so...
Krause Springs swimming hole, Spicewood, Texas
Krause Springs swimming hole
Photo courtesy Chandra Moira Beal
As you approach Krause Springs, you travel down a dirt road through a meadow full of pecan trees, wildflowers, and peaceful cows. A volleyball net and grassy areas wait for someone to use them. Then you see foreboding signs about signing liability releases and surveillance cameras. Don't be put off by these warnings.

Elton and Jane Krause own and operate Krause Springs, which is on the National Historical Register as an undisturbed midden, or Indian burial ground. Elton Krause used to live in Austin until he retired from the Austin American Statesman. The Krauses bought the land, which had been in the family for two generations, from an aunt in the 1950s. The aunt kept a hog farm there on 115 acres. The first thing Elton did was to remove the hog pens. Then he built the swimming pool, doing 90% of it himself. One thing led to another, and the grounds today are filled with his handiwork. He has made all the tables and gazebos by hand and says you can pick out his first table and see the progression of his abilities. Eventually the Krauses opened their land to the public and built up the campgrounds. A Texas Monthly article in the 1980s listed it as one of the best swimming holes in Texas. Elton and his sons continually improve and build on the grounds. The landscaping is all done by them, as well as the rock picnic benches. They went with concrete because people would move the wooden tables together in clumps and he'd have to rearrange them each time. Elton officially retired in 1994 but says he's busier now than when he was working for the newspaper.
Krause Springs pool, Spicewood, Texas
Krause Springs pool
Photo courtesy Chandra Moira Beal

The 70 x 20-foot swimming pool is just below the well, which is the source of the springs. It pumps at a rate of 70 gallons per minute. It is beautifully made with stonework, a diving board, and a concrete patio. Depths range from deep enough for diving to shallow enough to wade in. The water is blue-green, very clean and natural, and it reflects the sky and trees beautifully. The spring trickles out from the well on the shallow end, goes through the pool into canals, flows over a cliff and cascades 25 feet into a waterfall into the lower pool, a natural swimming hole. The waterfall has changed since a portion of the overhang broke off in 1985. The fallen rock is still in the middle of the water. The lower pool is deepest, about eight feet, beneath the falls. There are numerous boulders in the water, so no diving is allowed. Flat limestone rocks have water rushing over them which pools into a great swimming hole with a rope swing, caves, and beautiful, mossy cliffs. To get down to the swimming hole, there is a new set of wide limestone flagstones, a great improvement over the old, rickety, steep stairs.

Krause Springs is so quiet and still, you can hear the birds, crickets and cicadas chirping. When I visited on a Friday, there were only five other people there. It is easy to get spoiled by having it all to yourself, and it is so intimate that it feels full when just a handful of people are around. The giant wind chimes, built in Austin, are some of the largest in the country. They sound like cathedral bells and resonate all over the grounds. Lush, green, tropical plants like taro and elephant ears are growing all over the park. Magnificent trees such as cottonwoods, pecans, cypress, and oaks preside over the park. Some of the cypress trees are estimated to be over 1,000 years old, and the live oaks are 100-200 years old. Dozens of butterflies fly through in the spring and fall migrations. I think Krause Springs has done an admirable job of incorporating man-made elements into the natural world. The result is a beautiful park that is obviously well-loved and cared for.

Krause Springs also has camping for those who want to spend a few days. There are three tiers of campsites with the bottom level backing up against Lake Travis. Boaters can travel up to the boat ramp at the end of Spur 191 and ride to the campground. There are many picnic areas, rest rooms, and grills. Proper swimwear is required. Loud music is prohibited. Elton's policy regarding trash? The sign says it all: My hired hand just quit!


KRAUSE SPRINGS
Post Office Box 114
Spicewood, Texas 78669
(830) 693-4181


Excerpted from Splash Across Texas, 1999
Copyright Chandra Moira Beal and La Luna Publishing

Related Topics:

  • Splash Across Texas
    by Chandra Moira Beal

  • Austin, Texas
  • Texas Rivers
  • Texas Lakes
  • Texas Trips


    Book Hotel Here
    Austin Hotels
  •  

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


    Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Home »
    TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
    Texas Counties
    Texas Towns A-Z
    Texas Ghost Towns

    TEXAS REGIONS:
    Central Texas North
    Central Texas South
    Texas Gulf Coast
    Texas Panhandle
    Texas Hill Country
    East Texas
    South Texas
    West Texas

    Courthouses
    Jails
    Churches
    Schoolhouses
    Bridges
    Theaters
    Depots
    Rooms with a Past
    Monuments
    Statues

    Gas Stations
    Post Offices
    Museums
    Water Towers
    Grain Elevators
    Cotton Gins
    Lodges
    Stores
    Banks

    Vintage Photos
    Historic Trees
    Cemeteries
    Old Neon
    Ghost Signs
    Signs
    Murals
    Gargoyles
    Pitted Dates
    Cornerstones
    Then & Now

    Columns: History/Opinion
    Texas History
    Small Town Sagas
    Black History
    WWII
    Texas Centennial
    Ghosts
    People
    Animals
    Food
    Music
    Art

    Books
    Cotton
    Texas Railroads

    Texas Trips
    Texas Drives
    Texas State Parks
    Texas Rivers
    Texas Lakes
    Texas Forts
    Texas Trails
    Texas Maps
    USA
    MEXICO
    HOTELS

    Site Map
    About Us
    Privacy Statement
    Disclaimer
    Contributors
    Staff
    Contact Us

     
    Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved