DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas — The reopening of part of the swimming hole at Hamilton Pool Preserve is being delayed.
The pool was scheduled to reopen on Memorial Day after more than a year of being closed to swimmers.
Hamilton Pool staff say they're still working on a safe reopening.
The swimming hole is a favorite for both locals and people visiting from out of state.
“A coworker of mine lives in Corpus Christi, and she pointed out that, 'You got to swing by Hamilton pool,'” said Frank Woods, who was visiting Hamilton Pool Preserve from Tennessee with his wife, Laurie. “So, we made it a destination on our trip.”
Although hikers have still been able to enjoy the trails in the preserve, the watering hole has been closed to swimmers since the historic freeze in February of 2021 caused damage to some of the rocks.
“We had noticed some rocks had fallen into the pool, and so we wanted to make sure we had a full understanding of what was happening with Hamilton Pool,” said Hector Nieto, the communications director for Travis County.
Nieto said over the past year, researchers from the University of Texas have been analyzing the grotto and overhang.
“We have noticed that the conditions have improved because the weather that occurred during Winter Storm Uri has not repeated itself significantly,” explained Nieto.
Because of these improvements, Nieto said they planned to open up a portion of the pool to swimmers by Memorial Day, but the pool remains closed.
“We've decided that we will be sectioning off part of the pool, but we won't be sectioning off all of it,” said Nieto.
Many people who did not get to experience swimming in their most recent trip say they might come back for the full experience.
“We might,” said Frank Woods. “We like to hike. We like to go to different places and do some hiking. So, we would definitely stop by.”
Nieto did not know exactly which area would still be closed off.
Once an official reopening date is announced, Travis County leaders will share that with the public. The preserve will continue to be accessed by reservation only.
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