7 Safe Spots to Take Your Dogs Swimming in Austin
This post is brought to you by Firehouse Animal Health Center.
It’s officially the dog days of summer, which means temperatures in Texas are officially unbearable. And with the threat of blue-green algae, dogs have very little respite from the heat, which is why we’re bringing you 7 safe spots to take your dogs swimming in Austin.
First and foremost though, I want to remind y’all to always pay attention to your surroundings while taking dogs swimming, don’t let them swim in still/stagnant bodies of water or any water with visible gunk in it.
Also, please please please remember to clean up after yourselves, be respectful of others, and bring some drinking water and a bowl for your pup so they don’t gobble a bunch of lake/pool water. Some of these spots might close/open due to COVID, so I recommend checking the websites before visiting.
Okay, enough yapping! Let’s tell you where to safely take your dog swimming in Austin!
Jumping Jack Dog Ranch
Y’all. We’re starting off strong with this one. Jumping Jack is a dog boarding and training facility in south Austin, and they’ve got a rentable pool (like a straight-up pool, not a kiddie pool) where you can take your dogs swimming!
You can rent it weekday evenings and weekends, with rates starting at $50 per hour. You can bring up to 10 dogs (and their humans), which means you can split the cost between multiple people to make it even more affordable.
The pool is a great size for both humans and dogs to swim, there’s plenty of grassy areas for dogs to run around, and they even have lounge chairs and a picnic bench in case you want to make an afternoon out of it.
You can book here.
Lake Travis Parks
Alright, so broadly speaking, Lake Travis is safe from blue-green algae due to the temperature of the water staying much cooler than that on Lady Bird Lake. However, Lake Travis also has a lot more boat traffic, so I wanted to give you a few spots in one where you can safely take your pup swimming:
If you’re an LCRA member, you can visit any of the parks listed here. We love Cody Park, as it has multiple beachy areas where you and the pups can just wade in. Please keep in mind parks may be closed due to COVID.
Austin Pedal Kayaks
I know this isn’t technically a “place”, but if you’re anything like me you’re missing the ability to take your pups paddleboarding/kayaking on Lady Bird Lake. Thankfully, Austin Pedal Kayaks has you covered! They are in a perfect little cove on Lake Travis where the water is smooth and refreshing. They’ve got paddle kayaks, normal kayaks and paddleboards, all of which are dog-friendly!
Barking Springs
Okay, pay close attention to this one. Barking Springs has been deemed safe from blue-green algae, as long as you’re right at the spill-off from Barton Springs. The water from Barton Springs is cold enough to prevent the growth of this toxic algae, but the temperature quickly increases the closer you get to Lady Bird Lake.
That being said, we love letting the pups swim here as it is deep enough for them to truly swim, but shallow enough for humans to get in along with them!
Want to escape the heat all together? Check out: How To Road Trip With Your Dog.
Cedar Bark Park
Next up is probably the coolest dog park in Austin — Cedar Bark Park! This giant, fenced-in dog park is just a 30-minute drive from downtown and is totally worth it in our opinion. They’ve got a section without water for both large and small dogs, plus one giant section with a huge flowing pond in the middle!
With this being a dog park though, I only recommend visiting it if your dog is up to date on vaccines and well-behaved around other dogs and humans. There is not a lot of shade, so I would avoid visiting during peak heat hours for both you and your dog’s sake.
Jessica Hollis Park
Located just below Mansfield Dam, Jessica Hollis Park is a great spot to cool off on a hot summer day. Because it’s so close to Lake Travis, the water is perfectly cold and refreshing.
They have several banks to wade into, or you can bring/rent a kayak or paddleboard to swim in the middle of the water. And while water is perfectly safe to swim in, you need to keep an eye out for rapidly rising water should the dam open up.
Onion Creek Metropolitan Park
Here’s a spot for our south Austin peeps: the Onion Creek Greenbelt! Perfect for hiking and swimming, this little creek is one of our hidden gems for when you want to take your dogs swimming in Austin.
The water is typically flowing, which helps keep it clean and cool. However, please keep in mind that this is a hike and bike area, so please keep your dogs on-leash unless they are actively swimming!
Check out: 7 Rainy Day Spots in Austin.
K9 Water World
While technically in San Marcos, we couldn’t pass up including another pool rental in our list. While we love swimming in nature, we truly enjoy being able to safely rent a pool where we can swim with our dogs.
K9 Water World started out as a boarding facility but quickly became known for their dock diving training. Lucky for us without agile dogs (lol), they also just rent out their pool so you and your dogs can swim. The rates start at $20 for 30 minutes with one dog and increase accordingly.
Now that you know all of the best places to go swimming with your dog in Austin, I also wanted to include one last spot to help socialize and tire your dogs out when swimming isn’t an option: Firehouse Pet Resort!
Firehouse Pet Resort
Firehouse Animal Health Center is officially opening their very own pet resort in September and we’re so excited to share a little bit about it with you!
They will be offering boarding and daycare, with air-conditioned indoor and shaded outdoor play areas for pups to romp around, and they even include a bath during daycare or boarding so that you get your doggo back fresh and clean.
It’s the perfect option for busy owners, pups who don’t like swimming or who just truly enjoy spending time around other dogs. Stay tuned here to learn more about their grand opening!
Stay safe and healthy, Austin!
With love,
GGW Momma
