Sculpture Falls Water Level — Live Conditions

Upper Greenbelt, between the Lost Creek and Loop 360 gauges

USGS reading Aug 27, 11:00 PM CT · 31 minutes old

🔵 Sculpture Falls is rated Pools only for swimming — an estimated 0.4 cfs is flowing through this reach, with a modeled mean depth of about 0.1 ft and a current of 0.2 ft/s. Best at 15–50 cfs, when the ledges run and the pool is fresh.

Measured at Aug 27, 11:00 PM CT (31 minutes old) — that is when the gauges reported, not when you loaded this page. USGS transmits every 15–30 minutes, so the creek may have moved since.

Estimated from USGS readings at Barton Creek at Lost Creek (0.6 cfs) and Barton Creek at Loop 360 (0.0 cfs), the two gauges bracketing this spot — the estimate is only as current as the older of the two. See the full Greenbelt dashboard.

What Sculpture Falls is like

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.

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.

Does Sculpture Falls usually have water in August?

Sculpture Falls sits between two USGS gauges and isn’t measured directly, so its seasonal record is read from both of them rather than from a blend. Barton Creek loses water into the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone as it crosses the Greenbelt, so the two stations genuinely disagree — that spread is the honest answer, and it is shown rather than averaged away. Everything below is a daily mean, compared against each gauge’s own record for the same calendar date.

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 August 26, 2026. 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 26 (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 26 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 238; Days whose mean was 1 cfs or more, out of the 238 days USGS has published for this gauge in 2026.
Last 7 days vs the 7 before: 0.5 cfs, level with 0.7 cfs; Median daily mean for August 20–August 26, 2026 against the week before it.
Last 30 days vs the 30 before: 1.1 cfs, down from 8.8 cfs; Median daily mean for July 28–August 26, 2026 against the 30 days before it.
The same week a year ago: 0.6 cfs; Median daily mean for August 28–September 3, 2025.
Past 12 months: 0.2–470 cfs, median 2.5; 364 daily means, August 28, 2025 to August 26, 2026.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155240 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003) for August 28, 2025 to August 26, 2026, and USGS daily statistics for August 26 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 August 26, 2026. 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 26 (1977–2025), the median daily mean for that date is 0.0 cfs. 0.0 cfs sits between the 90th and 95th percentile for that date. In at least 90% of those 49 years the daily mean for August 26 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 238; Days whose mean was 1 cfs or more, out of the 238 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 20–August 26, 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 July 28–August 26, 2026 against the 30 days before it.
The same week a year ago: 0.0 cfs; Median daily mean for August 28–September 3, 2025.
Past 12 months: 0.0–575 cfs, median 0.0; 364 daily means, August 28, 2025 to August 26, 2026.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155300 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003) for August 28, 2025 to August 26, 2026, and USGS daily statistics for August 26 across 1977–2025 (49 years). USGS computes those statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. All three Barton Creek gauges are compared the same way on the Greenbelt flows dashboard. What these numbers mean for a swim at Sculpture Falls specifically is in the flow-band table below.

Is there enough water for a swim at Sculpture Falls?

The shaded band on both charts is 5–50 cfs — the discharge window this site rates Fair or Good, where the water is deep enough to swim and the current isn’t the problem. Sculpture Falls isn’t gauged, and its estimate is held between these two stations rather than read off either one, so when both charts sit inside the band this spot does too.

Barton Creek at Lost Creek — last 90 days

At Barton Creek at Lost Creek (USGS 08155240), the most recent daily mean USGS has published is 0.4 cfs, for August 26, 2026. The shaded band is 5–50 cfs, the window rated Fair or Good for swimming. Sculpture Falls is estimated between this gauge and Barton Creek at Loop 360, not measured at either. The dashed line is this gauge’s median daily mean for August 26 across 37 years of USGS record: 0.5 cfs.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155240 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003). USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. The vertical axis starts at zero.

Barton Creek at Loop 360 — 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 26, 2026. The shaded band is 5–50 cfs, the window rated Fair or Good for swimming. Sculpture Falls is estimated between this gauge and Barton Creek at Lost Creek, not measured at either. The dashed line is this gauge’s median daily mean for August 26 across 49 years of USGS record: 0.0 cfs.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, gauge 08155300 — daily mean discharge (parameter 00060, statistic 00003). USGS publishes recent daily means as provisional and may revise them. The vertical axis starts at zero.

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.

Where Sculpture Falls is

Sculpture Falls
Pools only
0.4 cfs, estimated from the two gauges either side
Steep, rocky descent down the Hill of Life from Camp Craft Road — you climb it on the way out.
30.26175° N, 97.82351° W
Hill of Life / Camp Craft Road trailhead
Where most people park for Sculpture Falls.
30.27510° N, 97.82524° W
Barton Creek at Lost Creek
Pools only at the gauge
0.6 cfs measured here
Upstream of Sculpture Falls.
30.27410° N, 97.84475° W
Barton Creek at Loop 360
Dry at the gauge
0.0 cfs measured here
Downstream of Sculpture Falls.
30.24465° N, 97.80223° 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.

How to read the flow bands

Condition	Discharge (cfs)	What it means at Sculpture Falls
🔵 Pools only	under 1	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.
🟡 Low	1–5	The sheet across the ledges thins toward a trickle. Swimmable in the pool, quiet on the rock, and a long hike down the Hill of Life for not much water.
🟢 Fair	5–15	The ledges start to run again and the pool freshens. Worth the descent.
🟢 Good	15–50	Sculpture Falls at its best: water sheeting over the limestone ledges into a full, cool pool.
🟠 Strong	50–120	The ledges become a real drop with force behind them. Strong swimmers only, and keep children off the lip.
🔴 Dangerous	120+	Swift water over slick limestone with nothing to grab. Stay out.

Frequently asked questions

Does Sculpture Falls have water right now?

This page shows a live estimate for Sculpture Falls, interpolated from the two USGS Barton Creek gauges that bracket it (Barton Creek at Lost Creek and Barton Creek at Loop 360) 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.

Is Sculpture Falls flowing right now?

“Has water” and “is flowing” aren’t the same thing at Sculpture Falls. 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.

What water level is best for swimming at Sculpture Falls?

Best at 15–50 cfs, when the ledges run and the pool is fresh. 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.

Does Sculpture Falls usually have water in August?

Sculpture Falls sits between two USGS gauges and is not measured directly, so its seasonal record is read from both. At Barton Creek at Lost Creek (USGS 08155240), the median daily mean discharge for August 26 across 37 years of USGS daily statistics (1989–2025) is 0.5 cfs. In at least 50% of those years the daily mean for August 26 was under 1 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 26 across 49 years of USGS daily statistics (1977–2025) is 0.0 cfs. In at least 90% of those years the daily mean for August 26 was under 1 cfs. Taking every calendar day in that record, the median day there is under 1 cfs in every month of the year. USGS computes these day-of-year statistics from approved daily means and notes they may not match figures in its official publications.

How do I get to Sculpture Falls?

Is it safe to swim at Sculpture Falls 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, and heed National Weather Service flash-flood warnings and City of Austin Watershed Protection advisories.

More Greenbelt water levels

Twin FallsUpper Greenbelt, near the Loop 360 bridge Gus FruhLower Greenbelt, below the Loop 360 gauge Campbell's HoleLower Greenbelt, approaching Barton Springs

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.