Spicewood's Best: Krause Springs
Complete With RV Sites, Wildlife, Fishing & An Oasis Of Beauty Nearby, This Swimming Hole Is Unrivaled In Texas
Willie Nelson used to be a straight-cut country artist trying to make it in Nashville. He wrote a few hits like Crazy for Patsy Cline. He lived a relatively typical budding musician existence. However, when one looks at his eyes in those old photos, one can see the he was ready to burst - it wasn’t the life for him. As time showed, it didn’t take him long to grow his hair long, started getting involved with the hippies, and moved out of to his home state of Texas - near Austin to be exact in a town called Spicewood.
Austin and the area is an anomaly in Texas. Texas is known as a particularly conservative state. However, its capital is one of the most liberal cities in America - probably why someone like Willie is comfortable there. Though, it’s liberal in a Texas way. There is a lot of growing industry in and around the city, but enjoying life is a high priority - whether that be kayaking on Lady Bird Lake or visiting one of the many different springs in the area. One of the most popular is Krause Springs in Spicewood near Willie’s ranch, about an hour from Austin, in hill country.
Krause Springs started in the mid-50s. “Mr. Krause acquired property from other family members and eventually made a destination out of it,” explains Terry (who didn’t want his last name published), a worker who has been at Krause Springs for many years. Elton Krause was born and raised in Spicewood, moved to Austin for a while, and then came back to Spicewood in the 70s when the springs started really picking up business and to work at the Marble Falls branch of Austin American Stateman, a newspaper publisher. He retired in 1994 and him and his family add to and improve the property every year.
Texas Outside magazine, which calls the springs “possibly the most beautiful swimming hole in the state,” says there are 34 springs throughout the property. Terry explains more, “our biggest one is manmade, but spring-fed, which waterfalls into a natural swimming hole.” Surrounding the springs are towering cypress trees and many other fauna such as ferns, pecan trees, oaks, and the like. Another aspect of the property is the garden. “Mr. Krause’s son wanted to have a garden about 10 to 12 years ago where there was an open space and started it,” explains Terry, “so he put in a bunch of native Texas plants and it is very beautiful.” It is called the butterfly gardens and is visited by many types of butterflies, naturally, and “quite a few hummingbirds,” Terry says.
A part of the appeal of the springs comes from the area surrounding it - the legendary hill country of Texas. Though Texas is known for cowboys and cactus, in reality the landscapes vary to include just about every landscape the southern United States has to offer - desert, woodlands, prairie, ocean retreats, and mountains. The hill country has lush, rolling hills that has 1000s of natural springs, caves, and greenery - making it a home to humans for thousands of years. Originally inhabited, at least at the time the Europeans came, by the Apaches, the Apaches liked the way they lived and fought hard against European settlement of the area. Interestingly enough, German-Americans made their home in hill country, some still speaking German, and have a very similar outlook to the Apache - to keep the land beautiful, their minds independent, and outside development to a minimum.
In relation to that is the idea of keeping Krause Springs a family-oriented place. “Quite a ways back we would get the fraternity groups who would come and do initiations and stuff like that,” Terry explains, “we quickly put a stop to that.” Of course, “young people are welcome there,” Terry says, “they just have to be courteous and respectful like everyone else.” Some of the rules of the springs cater to this mindset - no firearms or loud music are allowed. Two important notes about the springs is that they do not allow pets, presumably because of the busy summer season, and it is a cash only to get in.
Beyond the springs, there is also camping - both RV sites with full hookups and primitive sites, all under the shade of the cypress trees. Wildlife is plentiful and comes with some humorous remarks by Terry on the subject. “St. Patrick did not come here to Texas so we have our snakes,” he chuckles, “but generally all the people scare them away.” Also, he mentions that whenever there is news of alligators in Houston, “people come asking and scared of alligators,” he says and assures them that there are no alligators in hill country. “If you come up camping,” Terry says, “you will see plenty of deer and maybe a bobcat or fox.” Fishing is allowed near the Little Cypress creek.
All in all, the place is a peaceful, fun retreat for people from Austin and around the world. Whether it be relaxing on an inner tube in the clear cool water of the pools, or jumping into the water off the rope swing, it is a place for everybody. And, who knows? Maybe Willie and his friends come by every once in awhile because, for Willie, it’s “the only place for me, where my spirit can be free - Texas.”
Andrew Malo
A graduate of Northeastern Illinois University in Education, Andrew has taught for the past decade in Chicago, New Mexico, and Japan. He enjoys tinkering with trucks and motorcycles, woodworking, reading and computer programming.
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