In the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, where summer temperatures exceed 100°F and water is precious, there's a pool. Not a chlorinated rectangle behind a hotel - a 1.3-acre spring-fed wonder, holding three million gallons of 72-degree water, clear enough to see the bottom 25 feet down. The springs have flowed for thousands of years, creating an oasis that's now Balmorhea State Park. You can swim here, dive here, float in water that emerges from the earth at 15 million gallons per day. You'll share the pool with endangered Comanche Springs pupfish and an endangered species of aquatic snail. The pool is simultaneously a swimming hole and a refuge - recreation and conservation somehow coexisting in water too precious for either to surrender.
San Solomon Springs have flowed for millennia, fed by the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer that underlies much of West Texas. The springs produce roughly 15-26 million gallons daily, emerging at a constant 72-76°F regardless of season or air temperature. The flow created a desert oasis, supporting Indigenous peoples, early settlers, and eventually the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built the swimming pool in the 1930s. The water is naturally crystal-clear, filtered through limestone during its underground journey. What emerges is some of the purest, most abundant spring water in Texas.
The CCC-built swimming pool captures spring flow in a 1.3-acre basin - the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool by some measures. Depths range from 3 to 25 feet; the deep areas attract scuba divers. The pool has no chlorine; the constant flow of fresh spring water makes chemical treatment unnecessary. The bottom is naturally varied - rock, sand, aquatic plants. Swimming feels different from any chlorinated pool: the temperature is constant, the clarity is startling, the scale is improbable. Standing at the edge of a desert, diving into millions of gallons of clear water, creates genuine wonder.
The pool hosts two endangered species: the Comanche Springs pupfish and the endangered phantom cave snail. The pupfish evolved in the isolated springs of West Texas; as other springs dried up from agricultural pumping, populations collapsed. Balmorhea is now a critical refuge. The snails live in underwater springs and caves. Both species share the pool with swimmers - a conservation approach that relies on coexistence. Swimmers are asked to stay in designated areas and avoid disturbing aquatic plants. The arrangement works, improbably: visitors get their swimming hole, and endangered species get continued habitat. Neither could maintain the pool alone.
Groundwater pumping threatens the springs. Agricultural and oil field use has drawn down the aquifer; some nearby springs have stopped flowing entirely. A proposed fracking operation in 2016 sparked fierce opposition from conservationists and park users; the project was eventually abandoned. But pressure on the aquifer continues. Climate change, drought, and increased pumping could reduce spring flow or stop it entirely. The 15 million gallons that flow daily are not guaranteed; they depend on aquifer management that balances competing demands. The pool exists because the water exists. Neither is permanent.
Balmorhea State Park is located in Toyahvale, Texas, roughly 40 miles south of Interstate 10 via Balmorhea. The pool is open year-round for day use; admission is charged. Peak season is summer, when the 72-degree water provides dramatic relief from triple-digit air temperatures. Winter visits offer uncrowded swimming in water warmer than the air. Overnight accommodations include motel rooms and campsites. The nearest towns are Fort Stockton and Pecos. The pool is wheelchair accessible. Scuba diving is popular; certification is required. Snorkels and masks allow viewing of fish and underwater springs. No pets allowed in the pool area. Bring water shoes - some surfaces are rough.
Located at 30.94°N, 103.78°W in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. From altitude, Balmorhea State Park appears as a surprising patch of green and blue in brown desert terrain - the spring-fed pool and surrounding vegetation distinct against the arid landscape. The Davis Mountains rise to the south. Interstate 10 crosses the region to the north. The town of Balmorhea is tiny; the park is the only significant feature. The isolation is apparent from altitude: this is remote, sparsely populated desert, and the spring that creates the oasis is a geological gift in otherwise harsh terrain.