This 14-mile Riverbed Hike in Texas Leads to One of the Best Swimming Holes in the State-With 50-foot-deep Pools

"Here, miles away from the nearest public road, a small canyon carves into curving limestone. Within is a hidden world of trickling springs and deep, dark pools. As you descend into the canyon from the dry riverbed, all sounds cease, save for the dripping of spring water. Maidenhair ferns wave gently on the canyon walls, and curious fish swim up to the surface, their translucent fins fanning out on either side as they tread water. This wonder is known as the Blanco River Narrows."

"Flanked on either side by private land, the Narrows is accessible only by a challenging hike through the (mostly) dry bed of the Blanco River. For the intrepid adventurer who is up for the journey, the Narrows is a worthy quest. "It's the culmination of this grueling experience, and then you're in this almost otherworldly, magical, hidden place that so few people get to go," says Wes Ferguson, a Texas-based writer and author of the 2017 book " The Blanco River." "It's incredible.""

The Blanco River Narrows sits along the Blanco River in the Texas Hill Country inside a small limestone canyon fed by trickling springs and characterized by deep, dark pools. Descending from the dry riverbed leads into a silent, fern-lined gorge where fish surface and spring water drips. The Narrows is bordered by private property and requires a challenging hike through the mostly dry Blanco Riverbed to access. Two entry routes exist: an upstream 14-mile round-trip starting at Chimney Valley Road's low-water bridge, and a slightly shorter downstream route with more water crossings. Access points require staying in the riverbed, which is public land.

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