Lower Greenbelt, below the MoPac gauge
Right now · Jul 14, 1:51 AM CT
🟡 Gus Fruh is rated Low for swimming — an estimated 0.1 cfs is flowing through this reach, with a modeled mean depth of about 0.0 ft and a current of 0.1 ft/s. Swimmable across a wide range; deepest and cleanest at 20–60 cfs.
Estimated from live USGS readings at Barton Creek at MoPac Bridge (0.0 cfs) and Barton Creek Above Barton Springs (0.4 cfs), the two gauges bracketing this spot. Refreshes every few minutes — see the full Greenbelt dashboard.
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.
Gus Fruh is the low-flow refuge of the Greenbelt: its pool is deep enough to swim even when the upstream falls have gone quiet. Water quality still tracks discharge, though — the lower and stiller the creek, the murkier the pool gets.
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.
| Condition | Discharge (cfs) | What it means here |
|---|---|---|
| 🟤 Dry | 0 | No measurable flow — expect stagnant pools at best. |
| 🟡 Low | 0–5 | Only the deeper pools hold water; falls are quiet. |
| 🟢 Fair | 5–15 | Swimmable pools, gentle current; falls just starting to run. |
| 🟢 Good | 15–50 | The sweet spot — fresh, flowing water at the swimming holes. |
| 🟠 Strong | 50–120 | Strong current; confident swimmers only, watch children closely. |
| 🔴 Dangerous | 120+ | Swift-water conditions — stay out of the creek. |
This page shows a live estimate for Gus Fruh, interpolated from the two USGS Barton Creek gauges that bracket it (Barton Creek at MoPac Bridge and Barton Creek Above Barton Springs) and refreshed every few minutes. As a rule of thumb: below about 5 cfs only the deeper pools hold water, 15–50 cfs is ideal flowing water, and above roughly 120 cfs the creek is dangerous.
Swimmable across a wide range; deepest and cleanest at 20–60 cfs. Gus Fruh is the low-flow refuge of the Greenbelt: its pool is deep enough to swim even when the upstream falls have gone quiet. Water quality still tracks discharge, though — the lower and stiller the creek, the murkier the pool gets.
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.
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, and heed National Weather Service flash-flood warnings and City of Austin Watershed Protection advisories.
Planning a Greenbelt day? Check the live Barton Creek dashboard for every gauge and swimming hole at once, read our local playbook for Twin and Sculpture Falls, or see what changed with Barton Springs Pool's 2026 reopening.
