Barton Creek Greenbelt Flows
Does the Greenbelt have water right now?
Not really — the creek is too low for a proper swim.
All four swimming holes, best first
Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls, Gus Fruh and Campbell's Hole are down to standing water in the plunge pool, warmer and murkier than when the creek runs.
Steady. All 3 gauges were within 15% of the week before on median daily mean.
Mixed against the record for August 30: 2 of 3 gauges are below its own median for the date, 1 above.
Measured at USGS gauge 08155300. Reading from
Where to swim
The four named swimming holes, upstream to downstream — the order you meet them on the trail. Ranked best-first at the top of this page.
Sculpture Falls
Pools only
No cascade. The plunge pool below the ledges still holds standing water — warmer and stiller than when the creek runs — but the falls this spot is named for are not running.
Getting there: Steep, rocky descent down the Hill of Life from Camp Craft Road — you climb it on the way out.
0.3 cfs · current 0.2 ft/s (barely moving)
Estimated from the two USGS gauges either side of it
Twin Falls
Pools only
Standing pools, no falls. Because this is the easiest access on the Greenbelt, expect more people than water on a hot weekend.
Getting there: Short hike from the Twin Falls / Gaines trailhead off MoPac — the easiest access, and the busiest.
0.2 cfs · current 0.2 ft/s (barely moving)
Estimated from the two USGS gauges either side of it
Gus Fruh
Pools only
Standing water in a deep, shaded, cliff-lined basin — still a swim when the upstream falls have stopped, but murkier and warmer the longer it sits.
Getting there: Short walk from the Gus Fruh trailhead on Barton Hills Drive — limited street parking, fills early.
0.0 cfs · current 0.1 ft/s (barely moving)
Estimated from the two USGS gauges either side of it
Campbell's Hole
Pools only
Standing water across a long, broad, shallow-edged pool. Fine for wading and for dogs; not a swim, and it warms quickly in the sun.
Getting there: Gentle walk from the Spyglass access near Barton Hills Drive — the least strenuous on the Greenbelt.
0.1 cfs · current 0.1 ft/s (barely moving)
Estimated from the two USGS gauges either side of it
Still want to swim today? Go to Barton Springs Pool instead.
Barton Springs Pool sits at the downstream end of the Greenbelt and is fed by the Edwards Aquifer rather than by the creek, so it holds roughly 68–70°F year-round no matter what these gauges read. It is open daily and charges admission, with a cleaning closure on Thursday mornings — the City of Austin sets both.
What these ratings mean
Flow is measured as discharge in cubic feet per second (cfs) at three USGS gauges. For most greenbelt swimming holes, 15–50 cfs is ideal flowing water. Below 5 cfs the creek runs low and only the deeper plunge pools hold water; above ~120 cfs (or a modeled current faster than 4 ft/s) currents become swift and conditions can be dangerous. Discharge at ungauged holes is interpolated from the bracketing gauges, and the current shown is a Manning's-equation estimate from discharge, not a direct measurement. “Dry” is reachable at a gauge, where a zero reading means a dry creek bed; the four swimming holes hold standing water in their plunge pools, so the lowest they report is “Pools only”.
Where these spots are
The four swimming holes, the three USGS gauges the readings come from, and the trailhead most people park at for each hole — coloured by today’s condition, upstream (west) to downstream (east). The creek runs left to right toward Barton Springs.
Everything on the map, as a list
Pools only · 0.3 cfs (estimated)
Park at the Hill of Life / Camp Craft Road trailhead.
30.26175° N, 97.82351° W
Pools only · 0.2 cfs (estimated)
Park at the Gaines Creek / Twin Falls trailhead off MoPac.
30.24894° N, 97.81300° W
Pools only · 0.0 cfs (estimated)
Park at the Gus Fruh access, Barton Hills Drive.
30.24888° N, 97.79677° W
Pools only · 0.1 cfs (estimated)
Park at the Spyglass access (Campbell's Hole west entry).
30.26000° N, 97.78532° W
Barton Creek at Lost Creek
Pools only at the gauge · 0.5 cfs measured
An instrument, not a swimming spot — USGS 08155240 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
30.27410° N, 97.84475° W
Barton Creek at Loop 360
Dry at the gauge · 0.0 cfs measured
An instrument, not a swimming spot — USGS 08155300 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
30.24465° N, 97.80223° W
Barton Creek Above Barton Springs
Pools only at the gauge · 0.1 cfs measured
An instrument, not a swimming spot — USGS 08155400 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
30.26354° N, 97.77223° W
Gauge positions are the surveyed coordinates USGS publishes for each station. Swimming-hole and trailhead positions come from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), retrieved 8 August 2026 — good to a few tens of metres, which is enough to show which end of the Greenbelt a spot is on and not enough to navigate the last hundred feet by.
The last 90 days, against the swim window
Daily means at the gauge nearest the popular swimming reach — a whole day’s average, not the live reading at the top of this page. After rain the two can be an order of magnitude apart.
Barton Creek at Loop 360 — daily mean discharge, last 90 days
At Barton Creek at Loop 360 (USGS 08155300), the most recent daily mean USGS has published is 0.0 cfs, for August 30, 2026. The shaded band is 5–50 cfs — the window this page rates Fair or Good, where the ledges run and the pools turn over. The dashed line is this gauge’s median daily mean for August 30 across 49 years of USGS record: 0.0 cfs.
- Newest daily mean
- 0.0 cfs
- Worth going
- 5–50 cfs
- Median for August 30
- 0.0 cfs
Loading the daily-mean history from USGS…
Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155300 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003). Newest published daily mean: August 30, 2026. USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. The dashed reference line is USGS day-of-year statistics for August 30, 1977–2025; USGS computes those from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications. The vertical axis starts at zero.
The gauges these readings come from
Three USGS stations on Barton Creek, each with today's reading and its own past 12 months. The swimming holes above are not gauged individually — each one's figure is estimated from the two stations either side of it, which is why the numbers differ along the creek: Barton Creek loses water to the Edwards Aquifer as it crosses the Greenbelt, so one reach can run dry while another is still flowing.
Barton Creek at Lost Creek
Pools only
0.5 cfs · current 0.2 ft/s (barely moving)
Measured directly at USGS gauge 08155240 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
Loading 12-month history…
Barton Creek at Loop 360
Dry
0.0 cfs · current 0.0 ft/s (barely moving)
Measured directly at USGS gauge 08155300 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
Loading 12-month history…
Barton Creek Above Barton Springs
Pools only
0.1 cfs · current 0.1 ft/s (barely moving)
Measured directly at USGS gauge 08155400 (opens waterdata.usgs.gov in a new tab)
Loading 12-month history…
Is Barton Creek flowing today?
Barton Creek is a flashy, rain-fed Hill Country stream — it can run swift and brown after a storm and slow to clear pools weeks later. The dashboard above reads live discharge in cubic feet per second (cfs) from three U.S. Geological Survey gauges, so you can check conditions before driving to the Greenbelt. As a rule of thumb, 15–50 cfs is ideal flowing water at the swimming holes; 5–15 cfs is fair; between 1 and 5 cfs the creek is still running but thin, and the cascades weaken; below 1 cfs it has effectively stopped flowing and only standing water in the plunge pools is left; and above roughly 120 cfs the current turns dangerous.
That last point is why a gauge reading of zero doesn’t mean a dry hike. The Greenbelt holes sit in deep basins scoured into the limestone below the ledges, and those basins hold water after the creek between them stops moving — which is what the dashboard means by “Pools only.” It’s worth being precise about the source of that water: these reaches are rain-fed, and the creek crosses the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone here, where it loses water into the ground rather than gaining it. Barton Springs, downstream at the pool, is the spring-fed one — the Greenbelt holes are shaded rock basins that drain slowly, not springs.
Is there water in the Greenbelt — and is this normal for the time of year?
The dashboard above answers right now. This answers is that unusual. Every figure below is a daily mean — the average discharge over a whole day — measured at one named USGS gauge, compared against that gauge’s own record for the same calendar date. Barton Creek also loses water to the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone as it runs through the Greenbelt, so the three gauges genuinely disagree with each other; they are reported separately rather than averaged, because an average of three stations is not a real quantity.
Barton Creek at Lost Creek
USGS gauge 08155240 (opens in a new tab)
The most recent daily mean discharge USGS has published for Barton Creek at Lost Creek is 0.4 cfs, for . USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. That is a whole day’s average, not the live reading above — after rain the two can be far apart.
Across the 37 years of daily statistics USGS holds for August 30 (1989–2025), the median daily mean for that date is 0.5 cfs. 0.4 cfs sits between the 25th and 50th percentile for that date. In at least 50% of those 37 years the daily mean for August 30 was under 1 cfs — the point where the cascades stop and only the plunge pools hold water. Taking every calendar day in the record, the median day at this gauge is under 1 cfs in August and September.
- Days flowing so far in 2026
- 224 of 242
- Days whose mean was 1 cfs or more, out of the 242 days USGS has published for this gauge in 2026.
- Last 7 days vs the 7 before
- 0.5 cfs, level with 0.6 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 24–August 30, 2026 against the week before it.
- Last 30 days vs the 30 before
- 0.7 cfs, down from 6.7 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 1–August 30, 2026 against the 30 days before it.
- The same week a year ago
- 0.6 cfs
- Median daily mean for September 1–September 7, 2025.
- Past 12 months
- 0.2–470 cfs, median 2.5
- 364 daily means, September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155240 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003) for September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026, and USGS daily statistics for August 30 across 1989–2025 (37 years). USGS computes those statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.
Barton Creek at Loop 360
USGS gauge 08155300 (opens in a new tab)
The most recent daily mean discharge USGS has published for Barton Creek at Loop 360 is 0.0 cfs, for . USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. That is a whole day’s average, not the live reading above — after rain the two can be far apart.
Across the 49 years of daily statistics USGS holds for August 30 (1977–2025), the median daily mean for that date is 0.0 cfs. 0.0 cfs sits between the 80th and 90th percentile for that date. In at least 90% of those 49 years the daily mean for August 30 was under 1 cfs — the point where the cascades stop and only the plunge pools hold water. Taking every calendar day in the record, the median day at this gauge is under 1 cfs in every month of the year.
- Days flowing so far in 2026
- 14 of 242
- Days whose mean was 1 cfs or more, out of the 242 days USGS has published for this gauge in 2026.
- Last 7 days vs the 7 before
- 0.0 cfs, level with 0.0 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 24–August 30, 2026 against the week before it.
- Last 30 days vs the 30 before
- 0.0 cfs, level with 0.0 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 1–August 30, 2026 against the 30 days before it.
- The same week a year ago
- 0.0 cfs
- Median daily mean for September 1–September 7, 2025.
- Past 12 months
- 0.0–575 cfs, median 0.0
- 364 daily means, September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155300 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003) for September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026, and USGS daily statistics for August 30 across 1977–2025 (49 years). USGS computes those statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.
Barton Creek Above Barton Springs
USGS gauge 08155400 (opens in a new tab)
The most recent daily mean discharge USGS has published for Barton Creek Above Barton Springs is 0.1 cfs, for . USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. That is a whole day’s average, not the live reading above — after rain the two can be far apart.
Across the 27 years of daily statistics USGS holds for August 30 (1999–2025), the median daily mean for that date is 0.2 cfs. 0.1 cfs sits between the 25th and 50th percentile for that date. In at least 50% of those 27 years the daily mean for August 30 was under 1 cfs — the point where the cascades stop and only the plunge pools hold water. Taking every calendar day in the record, the median day at this gauge is under 1 cfs in February and March, and August through October.
- Days flowing so far in 2026
- 9 of 242
- Days whose mean was 1 cfs or more, out of the 242 days USGS has published for this gauge in 2026.
- Last 7 days vs the 7 before
- 0.1 cfs, level with 0.1 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 24–August 30, 2026 against the week before it.
- Last 30 days vs the 30 before
- 0.1 cfs, level with 0.3 cfs
- Median daily mean for August 1–August 30, 2026 against the 30 days before it.
- The same week a year ago
- 0.0 cfs
- Median daily mean for September 1–September 7, 2025.
- Past 12 months
- 0.0–584 cfs, median 0.1
- 364 daily means, September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155400 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003) for September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026, and USGS daily statistics for August 30 across 1999–2025 (27 years). USGS computes those statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.
Every hole: what it’s like, and how to get in
Upstream to downstream. The cards at the top of the page say whether each one has water right now; this is the part that doesn’t change — the character of the spot, the trailhead you park at, and the flow range it suits.
Sculpture Falls
Upper Greenbelt, between the Lost Creek and Loop 360 gauges
A series of limestone ledges with a wide swimming pool below the falls, and one of the most popular destinations on the entire Greenbelt. The ledges are the draw: when the creek is running, water sheets over them into the pool; in a dry spell the pool persists but the cascade slows to a trickle.
Getting there
Most swimmers come down the Hill of Life trail from the Camp Craft Road trailhead — a short but steep, rocky descent (remember you climb it on the way out). A longer, flatter approach follows the main Greenbelt trail upstream from the Twin Falls / Gaines trailhead off MoPac.
Best at 15–50 cfs, when the ledges run and the pool is fresh.
Live Sculpture Falls water level →Twin Falls
Upper Greenbelt, near the Loop 360 bridge
Shallow, sunny ledges and a shaded pool beneath a short double cascade. The Loop 360 gauge (USGS 08155300) sits just downstream, which makes this one of the better-bracketed spots on the Greenbelt — but the reading shown here is still an estimate between two gauges, not a measurement taken at the falls.
Getting there
The easiest swim access on the Greenbelt: park at the Twin Falls / Gaines trailhead off MoPac (Loop 1) and it’s a short hike down to the water. That convenience makes it the busiest spot on the creek on summer weekends.
Comfortable at 10–40 cfs; crowded when flowing well.
Live Twin Falls water level →Gus Fruh
Lower Greenbelt, below the Loop 360 gauge
A deep, cliff-lined pool prized for its shade and its rope-swing reputation. The limestone wall keeps the pool cool through the afternoon, and the depth here holds up better than the upstream falls during low flow — which is exactly why locals default to Gus Fruh in late summer.
Getting there
Enter from the Gus Fruh trailhead on Barton Hills Drive in the Barton Hills neighborhood — a short, family-manageable walk down to the creek. Street parking near the trailhead is limited and fills early on summer weekends.
Swimmable across a wide range; deepest and cleanest at 20–60 cfs.
Live Gus Fruh water level →Campbell's Hole
Lower Greenbelt, approaching Barton Springs
A long, broad pool that’s a local favorite for dogs and families, just upstream of the Barton Springs spillway. It trades the drama of the upstream falls for easy entry, room to spread out, and shallow edges that suit kids and swimming dogs.
Getting there
Reached from the lower Greenbelt trailheads on the Barton Hills side — the Spyglass access near Barton Hills Drive is the classic entry — with a gentle walk along the creek. It’s one of the least strenuous swims to reach on the Greenbelt.
Reliable swimming at 15–50 cfs.
Live Campbell's Hole water level →How we estimate conditions
The USGS measures two things at each station: discharge (how much water is moving, in cfs) and gage height (the water-surface elevation above that gauge’s own reference point). Discharge is the meaningful, comparable signal — it grows downstream as the watershed drains — so we lead with it. Gage height is not swimming depth and isn’t comparable between stations, so we don’t present it as “depth.”
The four named swimming holes sit between gauges and aren’t measured directly. We estimate their discharge by interpolating along the channel between the bracketing upstream and downstream stations. From that discharge we model an estimated mean current velocity using Manning’s equation for open-channel flow, with channel width, slope, and roughness typical of the rocky Greenbelt reaches. Velocity — not raw flow — is what actually governs whether a current is safe to swim in, which is why we surface it on every spot. These are transparent model estimates, not direct measurements, and gauge readings always take precedence at the stations themselves.
Before you go: safety
Barton Creek floods fast. Discharge can jump from single digits to several hundred cfs within hours of heavy rain upstream, and the National Weather Service flash-flood warnings for the watershed should always override anything on this page. Fast, turbid water also carries bacteria and debris — wait for levels to fall back into the 15–50 cfs range and for the water to clear. Never dive into unknown depths, and check the official City of Austin Watershed Protection advisories.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barton Creek flowing right now?
This page reads live discharge (cubic feet per second) from three USGS gauges along Barton Creek. The creek counts as flowing at roughly 1 cfs and above; from 1–5 cfs it is running but thin, 5–15 cfs is fair, and 15–50 cfs is ideal flowing water for the Greenbelt swimming holes. Under 1 cfs the cascades stop and what is left is standing water in the plunge pools scoured out below the ledges — deep, shaded rock basins, not springs — so those spots read “Pools only” rather than “Dry.” The gauges record every five minutes but USGS publishes the readings in batches, so the newest value is usually 15–30 minutes old.
Does the Greenbelt have water right now?
Usually some of it, even when the creek is low. The Greenbelt is four named swimming holes spread across several miles of Barton Creek, bracketed by three USGS gauges, and they don’t all run high or low together — one reach can be moving well while another is down to standing pools. “Has water” and “is flowing” are also different questions here: every hole sits in a limestone basin deep enough to hold standing water long after the creek between them stops moving, so a low gauge reading doesn’t mean a dry hike. The live verdict and the four cards at the top of this page show which holes have which today.
Is Sculpture Falls flowing right now?
Sculpture Falls sits on the upper Greenbelt, which dries out first. Through the 1–5 cfs range the sheet across the ledges thins toward a trickle; below 1 cfs the creek has effectively stopped and only the plunge pool beneath the falls holds standing water, warming as it sits. Check the live reading before making the steep hike down. Best at 15–50 cfs, when the ledges run and the pool is fresh. The live estimate for Sculpture Falls specifically — interpolated from the Lost Creek and Loop 360 gauges either side of it, the two nearest instruments — is at the top of this page, and its own conditions, access notes and seasonal record are on the Sculpture Falls page.
What flow rate is best for swimming in the Barton Creek Greenbelt?
For most Greenbelt swimming holes, 15–50 cfs is the sweet spot: enough water to swim and for the falls to run, without a dangerous current. Between 50 and 120 cfs the current is strong and you should be cautious. Above roughly 120 cfs — typically right after heavy rain — Barton Creek can become swift and dangerous.
Where does the Barton Creek flow data come from?
Discharge and gage-height readings come directly from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System at three stations: Barton Creek at Lost Creek (08155240), Barton Creek at Loop 360 (08155300), and Barton Creek Above Barton Springs (08155400). Conditions at the ungauged swimming holes between those stations are estimated from the bracketing gauges. The gauges record at five-minute intervals and USGS publishes them in batches, so the newest reading available here is typically 15–30 minutes old; this page re-checks USGS at most every five minutes.
How is the current speed at each swimming hole estimated?
We convert discharge to an estimated mean current velocity using Manning’s equation for open-channel flow, with channel width, slope, and roughness typical of the rocky Greenbelt reaches. It is a model estimate, not a direct measurement, but it reflects the real relationship between how much water is moving and how fast the current runs — the factor that matters most for swimmer safety.
What does “Pools only” mean?
It means the bracketing gauges show under 1 cfs — the creek has effectively stopped flowing and the cascades aren’t running — but the deep basins scoured below the ledges still hold standing water. All four named holes behave that way, which is why a near-zero reading is reported as “Pools only” rather than “Dry.” Expect warm, still water and no falls.
Why do some spots say “Estimated”?
Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls, Gus Fruh, and Campbell’s Hole sit between gauges and aren’t measured directly. Their discharge is interpolated from the bracketing upstream and downstream USGS stations, and their current speed is modeled with Manning’s equation.
Is it safe to swim in Barton Creek after rain?
Be careful. Barton Creek is a flash-flood-prone watershed, and discharge can spike from a few cfs to several hundred within hours of heavy rain upstream. Fast, turbid water also carries bacteria and debris. Wait for levels to drop back into the 15–50 cfs range and for the water to clear before swimming.
Does the Barton Creek Greenbelt dry up in summer?
Often, yes — and the gauge record says when. At Barton Creek at Lost Creek (USGS 08155240), the median daily mean discharge for August 30 across 37 years of USGS daily statistics (1989–2025) is 0.5 cfs. Taking every calendar day in that record, the median day there is under 1 cfs in August and September. At Barton Creek at Loop 360 (USGS 08155300), the median daily mean discharge for August 30 across 49 years of USGS daily statistics (1977–2025) is 0.0 cfs. Taking every calendar day in that record, the median day there is under 1 cfs in every month of the year. At Barton Creek Above Barton Springs (USGS 08155400), the median daily mean discharge for August 30 across 27 years of USGS daily statistics (1999–2025) is 0.2 cfs. Taking every calendar day in that record, the median day there is under 1 cfs in February and March, and August through October. Below 1 cfs the cascades stop running, but the plunge pools scoured into the limestone below the ledges still hold standing water, which is why the swimming holes read “Pools only” rather than “Dry”. USGS computes these day-of-year statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.
More Austin data, by place
The creek is one city record among several. Austin civic data by ZIP code puts 311 requests, code-enforcement complaints and restaurant inspection scores on one page for every Austin-area ZIP — same sources, same daily sync, no account needed.
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