Sign Up  /  Login

Barton Springs Pool LbNA #73436

Owner:Silver Eagle Supporter Verified
Plant date:Nov 8, 2018
Location: Eilers Park
City:Austin
County:Travis
State:Texas
Boxes:1
Found by: PI Joe
Last found:Oct 20, 2020
Status:FFF
Last edited:Nov 9, 2018
My 1100th Letterbox
Terrain Difficulty: Easy (flat, 600 yards RT)
Status: alive


Barton Springs Pool is located on the grounds of Zilker Park and is filled entirely with water from Barton Springs, staying at a temperature between 68° and 74° all year. Long before the pool was built, the springs were considered sacred and were used for purification rituals by the Tonkawa Native American tribe who inhabited the area. Spanish explorers first found the springs in the 17th century, and around 1730 erected temporary missions at the site. In 1837, William Barton, the springs' namesake, settled the area and began promoting the springs as a tourist attraction. The last private owner of the property, Andrew Jackson Zilker, deeded it to Austin in 1918. During the 1920s, the city undertook a construction project to create a larger swimming area by damming the springs and building sidewalks. The bathhouse was constructed in the 1940s and modeled after the design of the bathhouse at Deep Eddy Pool. Over the years, Barton Springs Pool has drawn people from all walks of life, from legislators who have concocted state laws there to free-spirited, topless sunbathers who turned heads in the 1970s. Robert Redford learned to swim at the pool when he was five years old while visiting family in Austin. So come for a swim while looking for this box nearby.

Directions:
From TX 1 go east on Barton Springs Rd for 0.1 mi then right into Zilker Park and park in lot on left.

Clues:
Walk southwest to Barton Springs Pool and continue past it to the Violet Crown Trail. Go on it about 100 yards to fence with old open gate on left side of trail. Continue 25 steps, then go right off trail 9 steps to cedar tree. LB is at back base under rocks and needles. Please be discreet and replace as described.


Hike length: 0.1 miles