Texas RV Travel blog

San Solomon Springs Pool

The 77,053 SF San Solomon Springs Pool is the focal point of Balmorhea State Park. From 22 to 28 million gallons of water flow through the spring-fed swimming pool each day.

History of San Solomon SpringsSan Solomon Springs has been an oasis to humans and wildlife for tens of thousands of years. The San Solomon Springs fed a ciénega, or desert marsh, a unique biosystem that is so different from the surrounding countryside. It was the one place in this harsh west Texas climate that offered shelter and sustenance to all creatures of the desert.

In the 1930s-1940s, a pool was constructed to contain the springflow and form one of the world’s largest man-made pools! Unfortunately, the ciénega was destroyed by this building activity of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

In 1996, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department established a three-acre ciénega below the motel and adjacent to the campgrounds. The cottonwoods, cattails and bulrushes that they planted have flourished. The pied-billed grebe and the green heron returned. See Day Use section below.

Balmorhea State Park Today

At least nine pristine springs release approximately 20-30 million gallons of pure water daily. Visibility is 80 feet, as clear as the Caribbean Sea, so you may see the springs if you wish. You either have to be a scuba diver or hold your breath for a long time.

AboveSan Solomon Springs Pool

Below

The sun illuminates thousands of Pecos gambusia and Comanche Springs pupfish, both endangered species. Hovering near the bottom are black catfish that will surfaced in the late afternoon. There are several families of Texas spiny soft-shell and red-eared slider turtles. In the fall, you will see coots and ducks landing above you. Watch out!

San Solomon Springs Court

Notice the adobe bricks and red-tiled roofs on the cabins in the court? They were also built by the CCC. These rustic lodgings are centrally located between the pool and the ciénega. The small network of canals flowing from the springs to the restored ciénega are crisscrossed by small bridges. The rushing water provides a peaceful background while you observe the aquatic life thriving in the canals.

Day Use

Visitors entering the park pay only the entrance fee; no separate pool fee. No lifeguards on duty, so swim at your own risk. You do not have to swim to enjoy a fun-filled day with your family.There is a playground and outdoor sports area next to the chemical-free pool. Enjoy picnic shelters in the grass, complete with small cooking pits, tables and benches, and shaded by an awning. There are bathhouses with showers. A concession stand is open during summer.

Follow the canals, crossing bridges and stopping to look into the crystal clear water to see the fishes and turtles. At the ciénega there is a boardwalk to view the marsh from above. Have the kids keep a sharp lookout for the here is a observation deck to view the viewing window INTO the San Solomon Springs ciénega.

Stay for Awhile

If you wish to camp at Balmorhea State Park, there are restrooms with showers; campsites with a shade shelter and water; campsites with a shade shelter, water, and electricity; pull-through campsites with water, electricity, and cable TV hookups; campsites without a shade shelter, with water and electricity.This park is participating in a pilot program to test the feasibility of offering Wireless Internet services to park visitors through private membership.

Make reservations early for campsites, RV sites and the San Solomon Springs Courts. This is a very popular State Park! Come see why…

When to Visit

• Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the pool, courts and campgrounds are full of families that come from all over Texas and Mexico to swim the waters.
• On the weekends during the off season, you will find the San Solomon Springs Courts and adjacent campgrounds full of scuba divers trying for their open water scuba certification.
• Dove hunters book up the rooms in early September.
• Birders from all over the United States come to the park to see the west Texas flyway migrations in the spring and fall.
• If you come during the week, you may have the entire pool and park to yourself.

Fishing Lake Balmorhea

Lake Balmorhea is not part of Balmorhea State Park. It is a reservoir on Sandia Creek 2 miles southeast of downtown Balmorhea, Texas. Water from Toyah Creek, which is fed by the nearby San Solomon Springs, feeds into the reservoir, as does excess water in the Phantom Lake Canal.

Lake Balmorhea has been stocked with fish. Note the large rocks near the dam, cobble on the southwest side, and sago pondweed and bulrushes on the north and west sides. Shoreline access is good, boat-launching facilities are adequate. An access fee is charged. Picnic sites are available.

Tips & Tactics for Fishing from TPWD

Largemouth bass are caught by fishing minnows, crankbaits, spinner baits, plastic worms, and topwater baits around the areas with rocks, pondweed, flooded terrestrial vegetation, or cobble. Channel catfish are caught on live bait and cut bait throughout the reservoir. White crappie are caught on minnows and small jigs near flooded terrestrial vegetation. Large redear sunfish can be caught with live worms under a bobber near the shoreline.

Tags: San Solomon Springs, Balmorhea State Park, Civilian Conservation Corps, ciénega, birding, hunting, scuba diving

Posted by CyberCelt under Accommodations, Camping, Family Fun, Fish/Hunt, RV Parks, Rivers, Scuba/Snorkel