In our mission to spend 1000 hours outside this year, we’ve decided to revisit some of our favorite hiking spots and seek out new ones as well. We’ll be sharing one with you every week in our series titled “This Week’s Hike”.
✅ Trails for Children
✅ Swimming (seasonal)
✅ Bathrooms
✅ Playground and Sports Fields
✅ Free Admission for Park and Trails
✅ Stroller-friendly Trails
❌ Reservations needed (except for swimming May through Sept)
❌ Free admission for Swimming Hole
Just south of Dripping Springs and about 45 minutes southwest of Austin lies one of the cutest Texas towns and the location of This Week’s Hike! We’re excited to share everything we love about Blue Hole Regional Park!
The Swimming Hole
In the summer, this swimming hole is the perfect spot to cool off. The clear waters flow beneath huge oak trees offering plentiful shade, keeping the spring-fed waters even colder. If you’re looking for a hike and then a swim, Blue Hole is perfect. Details for the swimming hole:
SWIMMING SEASON: Blue Hole is open for swimming starting Weekends in May, everyday Memorial Day – Labor Day, and weekends in September.
RESERVATIONS: Reservations are required. There are 2 time slots for swimming (9 am – 1 pm, 2 pm – 6 pm) but you can reserve both and stay all day. Our reservation system opens March 1st. Everyone must make a reservation online (excluding season pass holders).
ADMISSION: $12 Adults (14-59), $8 Youth (4-13), Seniors (60+), and Military. $8 Wimberley Residents (78676 only). Season Passes are $120 Adults and $80 for Youth, Seniors, & Military.
In the off-season, visitors can enter the swimming area free of charge. Swimming is not allowed, but there is plenty of space for picnicking and opportunities to enjoy the crystal clear water.
Easy Trails
The park has 4.5 miles of flat trails meandering around the swimming hole and sports fields. Most of the trails are shaded, and it’s possible to push a jogging or all-terrain stroller on them.
A Story Walk
Currently, there is a story walk on the main trail loop. Getting to the next page in the book was a positive motivator for both of our little ones.
Great Playground
Near the bathrooms and parking lot, there is a playground with climbing options for both older kids and young ones.
Clean Bathrooms
The park has public restrooms near the swimming hole and the playground. They’re kept open and clean.
FUN Town Nearby
Blue Hole Regional Park is in the heart of downtown Wimberley, where you can stroll to find unique shops, dozens of restaurants and wineries, cute photo opps with painted boots, live music, and another small trail along Cypress Creek.
Follow @dripping_with_kids on Instagram or this blog so you don’t miss out on the best places to go in the Texas Hill Country! We’d love to hear about your favorite spots too.
Before moving to the Texas Hill Country, I never would have guessed that my family would often be found at an outdoor brewery on a weekend evening. It didn’t occur to me that an establishment earning an income on alcoholic beverages would be family-friendly. However, when we visit our favorites below, we get to linger for hours, slowly savoring craft brews with friends or family, and we also get to enjoy our children playing in a beautiful, relaxed, screen-free environment.
Craft beers are what the cool kids drink, and I can’t think of anyone cooler than exhausted parents. We spend our days holding babies, holding everyone’s trash, holding it together, and holding in swear words. By the time happy hour hits, we deserve to be holding a delicious, full-bodied beer, cider, or local wine. I am thankful that many craft brewers in Dripping Springs and Austin recognize this fact of life.
Many of these visionaries bought up acres of ranch land. They built pavilions and barns. They invested in huge brew kettles. They developed yummy farm to table menus and set out dozens of picnic tables under majestic oak trees to draw in the crowds. But most importantly, they also devoted part of their property to a play space for kids!
Here’s my list of the top 6 family-friendly breweries in the Dripping Springs area, as well as a bucket list of places we hope to try soon. If you’re not a beer fan, don’t fret; all of these cool spots offer wine, cider, and/or non-alcoholic options.
Pizza, beer, an epic sand box, and baby goats are just a few of the reasons we can spend hours at Jester King. Our kids absolutely love playing on this 165 acre property made up of a vineyard, oak grove, beer garden, pasture, farm trail, and goat pen, and we adults love the food and relaxed atmosphere. While I’m not personally a fan of their home-crafted brews, although I know many are, I appreciate that the restaurant offers guest beer and wine. (Currently open by reservation only.)
Yes, Treaty Oak is primarily a distillery, but they also brew a few beers, which are delicious, so I think it fair that this super cool family-owned business makes the list. Treaty Oak has a gorgeous property that includes several shaded seating areas, a restaurant with mouth-watering barbecue, a garden, an open-aired event center, and a distillery open for tours. But it tops my kids’ list because of the natural playground that’s always full of familiar faces. (Open Wed – Sun, no reservations needed)
The tap room, brewery, and outdoor space at Family Beer Business are the epitome of cool. The playground is large and fenced-in, with tables available nearby to monitor the kids. Added bonus: my children claim it has the fastest slide in town! There’s a large variety of tasty beer on the menu and interesting merch available in the small shop or at one of their regular artisan markets (pre/post-covid). Sitting on the tap room porch, listening to live music waft through the open doors, while staring out at the grove of oaks, instantly transports you to the tranquility of the Texas Hill Country. (Currently open Wed-Sun, reservations requested but not required.)
With a motto of “Family. Country. Great Beer.”, you know exactly what you’ll get from this brewery that was founded by combat engineers who fell in love with European craft beer while stationed in Germany. It’s a great story with an even better destination. The playground is an awesome replication of a castle, and the biergarten is pretty and intimate. (Now open Wed through Sat with live music and nightly food trucks.) This playground also made it onto our Top 10 Playgrounds In and Around Dripping Springs list!
Delicious, unique food accompanied by yummy craft brews and happy, playful kiddos is a recipe for a fantastic afternoon in the Hill Country. There are three separate areas to gather – under the oaks, on the covered patio, or inside the farmhouse style restaurant/brewery. With an awesome playground, baby swings in the trees, and room to roam, this family-friendly brewery is a win-win for parents and kids alike. You can bring your furry kiddos too. (Currently open Thursday-Sunday, no reservations necessary)
What’s not to love? With a laid back vibe, outstanding beer, shaded beer garden, cool playground, live music, tree swings, interesting menu, acres of beauty, and trails through the farm, Vista has become our go-to. I highly recommend their Dark Skies Pilsner with its hints of coffee and roasted marshmallows. Yum! It pairs perfectly with muddy children and recalling embarrassing stories with old friends.
A friendly face behind the bar, a very knowledgeable brew master, and some of the tastiest beer I’ve ever tried makes this brewery very worthy of a pop in. There’s no playground or open green space, but it’s located in the heart of downtown Dripping Springs, near shops and a secret hiking trail. (Currently offering beer and merch to-go, including the coolest masks with their plague doctor logo on them.)
I’ve heard often that the pizza is reason enough to go, but the beer is definitely the featured attraction. This nano-brewery is kid- and pet-friendly, offering events such as “kids eat free” and trivia night on different days of the week. (Currently open afternoons/evenings Wed-Sun.)
I’ve seen the beer in the stores. I’ve driven by the lively patio. I’ve even chatted with one of their loyal employees. But for some reason, I haven’t stopped in yet. This one is definitely on our list to try out a flight and enjoy some porch-sitting. (Currently open Thurs – Sun with to-go pizza and pint specials.)
This new brewery is so much more than just beer and bites. The owners have committed to creating a zero solid and liquid waste facility that provides its own energy and water. There is a focus on hyper-local ingredients, and the brewmasters use rainwater collection tanks, practice ethical harvesting, study herbalism, and raise bees on the property in their apiary. I’m excited to not only try their beers but also check out this unique property with my family. (Currently open by reservation Thurs – Sun with limited food menu.)
While kid-friendly and beer may not typically belong in the same sentence together, these family-focused breweries recognize the unique opportunity for every member of the family to enjoy a night out together.
Please drink responsibly, especially if you’re planning to get behind the wheel after visiting the establishments listed. It’s important to remember that many craft beers have a higher ABV than other beers on the market. Usually, when my husband and I take the kids to a local brewery, we either split a pint, share a flight, or take turns on who gets to do the tasting on nights out.
If you’re interested in finding more family-friendly activities in the Dripping Springs and Austin area, check out my summer bucket list.
