With the rain subsiding and a summer heatwave in full swing, it’s officially time to pop off those shirts and jack-knife into one of the city’s many swimming holes. Sometimes, however, swimming in San Antonio can call for an exclusive membership or an inconvenient entry fee. For those of you who want to cool off without dropping fat stacks, we found 10 spots within an hour of San Antonio where you can swim for free.
San Pedro Pool 1315 San Pedro Ave.This massive swimming pool, located in the second oldest park in the city, offers plenty of space to cool off in the freshest water possible. It’s easily the best place to swim for free in San Antonio. Instagram/instagramtexas
LBJ Pool 10700 Nacogdoches RoadWash off those booboos you collected while shredding the LBJ skate park in their community pool. If the chlorine burns, that just means it’s working. Instagram/thechrispotts
Woodlawn Pool 1103 Cincinnati Ave.I know the waters of Woodlawn Lake look enticing, but it’s probably not a good idea to jump in. Instead, go for a dip in their large public pool. It’s a worthy alternative. Instagram/nicolashes
Heritage Pool 1423 S. Ellison DriveNestled in San Antonio’s Heritage Duck Pond Park, this pool is a great spot to practice your backstroke after feeding some adorable ducklings. Instagram/san_antonio_foodjunkie
Blue Hole 100 Blue Hole Lane, WimberleyOnly an hour drive from Central San Antonio, Blue Hole offers Texans a natural swimming spot complete with beautiful flora and fauna and even a rope swing. Just don’t let go of that rope swing too early, or things might get ugly. Instagram/beccleigh
Guadalupe State Park 3350 Park Road 31, Spring BranchWith four miles of river frontage, Guadalupe State Park can satisfy all your swimming, tubing and fishing needs in one stop. Instagram/bryanrindfuss
Blanco State Park 101 Park Road 23, Blanco, TXThis is another swimming stop less than an hour away from San Antonio. The park also allows camping, so there’s no need to cut your day short to drive home. Instagram/robynleonaa
Twin Falls 3755 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Austin, TXThis Austin swimming hole is tucked away in the beautiful Barton Creek Greenbelt. It’s a great fee alternative to visiting Barton Springs Pool. Instagram/metival818
Schumacher Crossing 1617 Broadway, Kerrville, TXThis one calls for a bit more of a drive, about an hour and 20 minutes to be specific, but it’s well worth the extra 20 minutes of car karaoke. This Texas favorite is often included in lists of top ten Hill Country swimming holes. Top ten lists don’t lie. Instagram/annaintheclouds
Campbell’s Hole Barton Creek, Austin, TXCampell’s Hole is a few miles downstream from Twin Falls. Its closer proximity to Barton Springs pool makes it more crowded than Twin Falls, so this is the swimming hole to hit up when you want to make some new shirtless friends. Instagram/fink_daddy