Best Improved Entry to the Soul of Austin
Barton Springs Southside
Entering the waters of Barton Springs Pool has always provided a thrilling jolt, whether one inches slowly in from steps or a ramp or plunges in recklessly from the diving board or deep end. Entering the grounds from the South entrance, however, used to be an experience more akin to a revisit to the Dust Bowl than a gateway to paradise. But not any more. The newly landscaped hillside, environmentally sensitive parking lot, and ADA pathway have transformed the Robert E. Lee Road entry into a pastoral setting worthy of the pool it serves. The whole pool experience has been revitalized as a result: The hillside has been extended to include massive trees protected by tended rings of mulch, janky overhead power lines are gone, providing an unobstructed view of the stately Texas sky, and a thoughtfully terraced wheelchair ramp/path provides poolside access where there was once erosion blighted, barren dirt hillside. Friends of Barton Springs take a bow, or better yet: a dip!
Barton Springs Pool
2131 William Barton Dr., 512/974-6300
austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool
Friends of Barton Springs Pool
www.friendsofbartonspringspool.org
