Considered by many to be the best swimming hole in Texas, Krause Springs sits in Spicewood, about 30 miles (48 km) west of Austin. Thirty-two springs feed its pools and waterfalls, all held inside a 115-acre (about 47-hectare) property listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Krause family acquired the land in 1955—Elton Krause turned a former hog farm into the cypress-shaded sanctuary visitors know today—and the family has stewarded it for more than seventy years.
Then the descent: cypress knees rising from green water, a cool veil of waterfall spilling over moss-bearded limestone, reflections so still they seemed to hold the trees in two worlds at once.
In the heat of a Texas summer, this place is rightfully famous. The pools hold steady near 68°F (20°C) year-round, and on July afternoons, the limestone amphitheater fills with the laughter of swimmers seeking refuge from the heat. I was lucky to visit on a different kind of day: a mild February afternoon three years ago, with only two friends for company. The crowds were not yet awake to the season; the grounds belonged to us, and to the small lives that lived there.
Before you climb down to the springs, the upper grounds invite a slow walk. Native trees and wildflowers were just beginning to stir. A single Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)—one of the first trees in central Texas to bloom—was in full ivory bloom, weeks ahead of almost everything else around it. Its fragrance pulled us in, and so did its visitors.
A White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata)—often nicknamed a “hummingbird moth” for the way it hovers and darts at flowers—worked the blossoms with the precision of a small flying engine, its long proboscis dipping in and out.
Nearby, a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) drifted past, its hindwings catching the light in that unmistakable iridescent blue. We were as giddy as the pollinators, chasing them with our lenses while the springs whispered below.
Walking around at Krause Springs that quiet afternoon, one step at a time, was very close to having stepped into a fairyland.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Krause Springs, Landscapes, Mexican Plum, One Step, Pipevine swallowtail, Texas, White-Lined Sphinx Moth, Wildflowers, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
Posted for Pepper’s One Step at a Time # 9.
Sources
- Krause Springs — About — https://www.krausesprings.net/about/
- Wikipedia — Krause Springs — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krause_Springs
- DailyTrib — Family-owned Krause Springs a lush oasis — https://www.dailytrib.com/2020/06/19/family-owned-krause-springs-a-lush-oasis-in-the-highland-lakes/
- Native Plant Society of Texas — Mexican Plum — https://www.npsot.org/posts/plant-of-the-month-mexican-plum/
- Wikipedia — White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyles_lineata
- Butterflies and Moths of North America — White-lined Sphinx — https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hyles-lineata
- Wikipedia — Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battus_philenor
- Butterflies and Moths of North America — Pipevine Swallowtail — https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Battus-philenor
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Prunus mexicana — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=prme
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Bay Photos By Donna
I could sit alongside the water falls all day long, beautiful!!
Egidio Leitao
It’s a great setting, Donna. During the summer, it’s too crowded and loud, but off season, it’s very tranquil. Thanks for writing.
One Step at a Time #10 - Heavens Sunshine
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SoyBend
That looks like a wonderful place to swim on a hot summer day, Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
It should be perfect if you don’t mind cold water. Thanks for writing.
restlessjo
Exquisite captures! What a beautiful place, Egidio xx
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the feedback.
Leanne Cole
I love hearing about places like this, It is so nice when they turn places back to what they were once before. We have something similar near by. The photos of the insects in flight are incredible.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Leanne. I agree with you about the restoration of places, too.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful images Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks so much, Anne.
solaner
I love your butterflies!!!!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, André.
Anita
Such a beautiful post Egidio! The quiet atmosphere, the reflections, and those incredible pollinators all feel almost otherworldly. Your photos of that special moth and the lovely butterfly are truly stunning.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anita. The scene is the opposite in the summer. Hundreds of people flock to that swimming hole. I’m glad you liked the photos.
Steve Schwartzman
The Krause Family should hire you to promote the place. Your attractive views from springtime might spread out some of the summer tourist load, though not for those visitors who want to swim.
You did a good job with the insects in flight, which is harder with a swallowtail butterfly, which usually keeps fluttering, than with a moth that hovers.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Steve. Given the number of people who visit that place in the summer, they don’t need any advertising. 🙂 I was shooting at 1/3200 s. The hardest thing to control was the bright sky.
Vicki
Sounds like pure bliss to me. Loved your narrative and images.
Egidio Leitao
It is if you don’t go there in the summertime. Thanks for the feedback.
philosophy through photography
Well said, Egidio.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you very much.
philosophy through photography
Egidio, the place looks peaceful enough to make anyone forget the rest of the world for a while, and you captured that charm beautifull. Love these images. Butterfly click is amazing!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks a million, Philo. The place is peaceful off season. You don’t want to be around in the summertime, though, unless you like huge crowds and loud noises.
Pepper
Such a beautiful image, Egidio. I had no idea that was in Texas. I have added it to my list of places I must see in Austin.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you so much, Pepper. Be sure to check their website for hours.
Pepper
I definitely will. 😉
Alison
Amazing photo of the butterfly ..no photos of you swimming though
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Alison. 🙂 The water there is always too cold for me.