Reimers Ranch Is Austin's Swimming-Hole Alternative to Hamilton Pool — Here's This Weekend's Catch

Hamilton Pool has needed a reservation since 2016, and this week's slots are booked into September. Twenty minutes closer to Austin, Reimers Ranch Park never takes one — but today, its road to the river shoreline is closed to cars. According to ATX Things analysis of Travis County Parks' own live status page, that's the trade every visitor to this stretch of the Pedernales is making this weekend, and most drivers haven't been warned.

What is Reimers Ranch, and why do locals swim here instead of Hamilton Pool?

Reimers Ranch Park is a 2,427-acre Travis County park in Dripping Springs with almost three continuous miles of frontage on the Pedernales River — the largest single parkland acquisition in the county's history. Unlike Hamilton Pool Preserve, five minutes down the same road, Reimers Ranch takes no reservations. It's first come, first served, and the park is large enough that Travis County says it doesn't expect to hit capacity.

That matters right now because Hamilton Pool's online booking system shows reservations running through September, at $12 to book plus an $8-per-person entry fee, cash only, with swimming not guaranteed even once you're in — water quality can close the pool to swimmers on any given day. Reimers Ranch skips all of that. You show up, you pay at the gate, you swim.

What's the weekend catch?

Travis County Parks' live status page for the park carries a standing summer notice: the road down to the river shoreline closes to vehicles on every summer weekend and holiday, "to promote public safety." Today is a Saturday in August, so the closure is active. You can't drive down and drop off a cooler at the beach. You park in the main lot and walk in — about a quarter mile down a steep grade to the water. The road reopens to cars seven days a week once the county calls the busy swimming season over, which it hasn't yet.

What does it cost, and what should I bring?

Day use is $5 per person, $3 for seniors 62 and up, and free for kids 12 and under. Disabled veterans with a 50%-plus rating get in free. A trailer costs an extra $7 for the day. The entrance booth takes cash only — no cards, per the park's own posted policy.

Leashed dogs are welcome; off-leash pets are one of the park's specific prohibitions, alongside glass containers, ground fires, fireworks, camping, tobacco, and drinking in public. You can bring a grill, but it has to sit above the ground and burn gas or charcoal — no wood fires, because of flying embers in dry brush.

Is today actually a good day to go?

Saturday's forecast tops out at 98.1°F, according to Open-Meteo's Austin forecast pulled this morning — a real, if small, break before the week ahead. Sunday holds close at 97.2°F, then the heat climbs fast: 102.2°F Monday, 103.6°F Tuesday, and a stretch of 104–105°F highs by Wednesday through Friday. If a swim in moving river water is on your list this week, this weekend is the mildest window you'll get before the county's next heat run.

What else is there besides swimming?

Rock climbers already know Reimers Ranch — the limestone bluffs above the river are a genuine Central Texas climbing destination, with routes for first-timers and experienced leads alike. Mountain bikers get more than 18 miles of trail through Hill Country terrain, and those trails stay open unless recent rain has softened them (check the park's live trail-status page before you load the bikes). After dark, the park's own Reimers Observatory runs reservation-only astronomy nights a few times a month — a separate booking from general park entry, worth planning ahead if the clear-sky nights this heat wave keeps producing appeal to you more than the water does.

What locals should know

• Address: 23610 Hamilton Pool Road, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 — about 35–40 minutes from downtown Austin via 290 W and Hamilton Pool Road.
• Hours: 7 AM to civil twilight, daily (8:44 PM tonight).
• Cost: $5/person day use, cash only at the gate.
• The catch: the beach road is closed to cars on summer weekends/holidays — plan for the walk-in.
• Leashed dogs: welcome. Off-leash: not allowed.
• No reservation needed — unlike Hamilton Pool, five minutes away.

This isn't the only alternative Austin's been leaning on during a summer of heat records. ATX Things has also tracked where the Barton Creek Greenbelt is still swimmable while its usual holes run dry and the local playbook for Twin and Sculpture Falls earlier this year. For a state park option with its own day-pass workaround, see our guide to McKinney Falls State Park. And for live creek-flow numbers before you head out to any Austin-area swimming hole, check our real-time flow tracker.

FAQ

Do I need a reservation for Reimers Ranch Park? No. Unlike Hamilton Pool Preserve nearby, Reimers Ranch is first come, first served with no online booking system, according to Travis County Parks.

Can I drive down to the river at Reimers Ranch this weekend? Not today. The road to the river shoreline is closed to vehicles on all summer weekends and holidays; visitors walk in from the main parking lot, about a quarter mile down a steep grade.

How much does it cost to get into Reimers Ranch Park? $5 per person for day use, $3 for seniors 62+, free for kids 12 and under, and free for disabled veterans with a 50%+ rating. Cash only — the gate doesn't take cards.

Are dogs allowed at Reimers Ranch? Yes, on a leash. Off-leash pets are specifically prohibited under the park's rules.

What else can I do there besides swim? Rock climbing on the limestone bluffs, more than 18 miles of mountain bike trail, fishing for white bass in the Pedernales, and reservation-only astronomy nights at the on-site Reimers Observatory.

We're keeping an eye on when the county lifts the weekend road closure for the season — follow @austintexasthings for the update, and for tomorrow's next Austin story.