Hamilton pool is a natural pool preserve located 23 miles west of Austin, Texas. We had visitors coming from out of town and we brought them to this natural wonder. Access to the area was by reservation. This was the reason why we were not able to visit this area in the past. Our visits to the Austin was mostly confined to the downtown area. We were lucky, with some help, to secure access by reservation.

There was a short hike to Hamilton pool. The trail was steep and footing was tricky. Certainly, not the kind of place to break an ankle! Attention was so focused on the difficulty of the trail that it was easy to miss its serenity. The landscape was wooded and the undergrowth thick. There was a slow moving body of water and I couldn’t figure out whether it was coming or going to the pool.

There was disappointment and surprise when we reached the pool. The disappointment was that there was little water flowing from the edge of the overhang. The water was low in the pool itself. The surprise was that there were fish swimming in the pool. They were so close that you wanted to grab them.

I was thinking about the future of the pool. The rangers were so strict about access to the pool for safety reasons. My readings about the pool also indicated that it was formed when the roof of an underground river collapsed. Now, rocks are falling and the ecosystem was becoming fragile. How long will this natural wonder last?