It isn’t the price. I’ve swam in both. One side I can bbq, have snacks, drinks (alcohol), smoke, listen to loud music, and enjoy the vibe. The other side it’s like womp womp and watch the old yt folks swim back and forth with their snorkels
$10 fckn wtf?! I guess I haven't been there in over 5 years but damn and you gotta pay for parking too right, where your car will probably get broken in to
I used to love visiting barton springs pool and Zilker park with my children way back in the day!!! I stopped visiting when Austin became unbeareble to visit!!!
Wow, the amount of people is crazy! I my friends and I would go on the dog side (free side) and fight the water currents climbing into the water falls to get into the paying side 20 years ago!
I prefer to pay, I just like how cold it is and that you can shower off afterwards. I’m allergic to the algae but if I shower I don’t get a rash. The other side smokes too much too, not the best if your pregnant.
The river is free yes, but it’s knee deep, full of slippery algae covered rocks, sticks and debris. It’s a great dog or paddle board spot but the pay side is nicer. It has showers concession and is kept free of broken glass and bottle caps.
The free side had a small chute beside the damn you could lay down in and the strong current would push you like a slide. Not sure if people still do that or not.
I don’t understand the point you’re trying to get across. Is that if you pay you get deeper water, more space, less cramped, a cleaner surrounding…or is it people who don’t pay get to stand in the same water as those are on other side of the fence?
There is a side with deeper water and you have to pay to get in that area, then a little farther down there is another area where it is free less deep, and way more crowded since people don’t want to pay. Personally based on my experience there the area you pay to get into is worth the money and way more fun. Hope this helped
It’s so packed all the time now ugh I used to always go between 2020-2022 it’s so packed now like all the time there’s barely any room to move bro lmao
omg is this during a music festival or something? I moved away in 2007 and never saw it like this ever. It was very rare to see anyone on the free side. I would go snorkel... this was before the invasive grass took over. This just makes me look sad. It looks like the tubing the river photos from the 90s. This can't be good for the delicate ecology of the springs
No this was just an ordinary weekend. It’s like that every summer. It’s the party side and people stay late at night because they are drinking and blasting music. It’s for sure a hot spot these days. lol 😝
And now it’s packed with migrants you’re lucky if you hear any English, literally packed with migrant families swimming, kids swinging jumping next to kayakers trying to knock them off. I’m Mexican but I also appreciated the Indy vibe Austin used to offer. Now it’s a giant migrant camp with homeless and millionaires in the mix.
Pay = a place to sit and have all your stuff, deep cool water, restroom, food, and drinks. Free = looking like an idiot. I would rather stay home if I couldn't afford the small fee. This is a stupid publicity stunt.
@@xtremecoast you're not crazy! I lived in 5 states. atx and dfw have 0.001% scenic hike spots or parks, compared to the other states. The only ppl defending it are tx natives. Makes sense.
What you can't see in the video obviously is the super high HUMIDITY in Austin, plus the long, hot summers! It is unbearable from March through November. I moved away not only for the horrific weather but because of the overpopulation boom, rude drivers, and it's gone from a "weird city" to a "d-bag city". Also rampant with drug dealers/users, especially rich people living in high rises downtown.
It was a nightmare there. I got the F out in 2016. I can’t even imagine how much worse it has become. So depressed there. On the other hand, I’m happy to see others loving it there and having a great time especially with their pets and not just leaving their dogs, at home, in the heat.
Are you sure you're not talking about Houston?? The humidity in Austin is not nearly as bad as many other Southern cities! The weather is also usually perfect in March, April, October, and November, and yes, you will get some randomly hot days in those months, and some years, it's much hotter, but you will typically still have pleasant days in between. I'm here at the beginning of June, and yes, it's hot, but it's not 100+ like July or August. Keep in mind I'm from Oregon, and I managed to acclimate despite the fact that we think anything over 70 is hot enough to be summer.
Live in New Braunfels for just over 10 years now and have never been. I'm guessing this is height of summer? I would like to go and take my dogs and my paddleboard but will wait till Sept/Oct. The spring break looking side is why I avoid the rivers here during summer. No thank you.
Be prepared to see people naked or atleast topless 💀I didn’t know that was legal in Austin when I went and was shocked and disturbed. Honestly it made the whole experience feel disgusting.
This is great! Pay $10 to feel a sense of social class. Make sure to show up early before the pool gets as crowded as the free side. Literally every shopping mall you go to will be shoulder to shoulder sardine style PACKED (Try not to get 🔪🔪⚰️🪦 by a "tent resident" when you stop at Freebirds on S. Congress to get a burrito) btw there are "tent communities" everywhere. When you're finally tired of the same recycled personalities that you've met, please consider 70% of your interactions were with Cali natives
God damn, the free side is packed like sardines! I can't stand crowded swimming holes, it defeats the purpose of relaxing in the water with tranquility. I'll pay the $10, better yet, I'll just take a bath alone
