Everything to Know About Balmorhea State Park: Texas Oasis!

Are you looking to visit an actual oasis in west Texas?  If so, you will love Balmorhea State Park and taking a dip in the world’s largest spring-fed pool! 

Whether you are just passing through, or if you are a local trying to beat the heat, you’ll love Balmorhea.  This beautiful and unique oasis has an incredible pool, while also offering a newly renovated motel and updated campground.    

We’ll be breaking down the swimming situation, the camping situation, and the cost of everything there is to do here.  So let’s start with some important links!

Important Links 

–Balmorhea State Park website

–Balmorhea State Park Camping – Make Reservations Here

–Day Passes – Recommended!

–Texas State Parks Pass

–Park Map

–Camping Journal – Never Forget Your Camping Trips Details Again!

Hours

Let’s start with taking a look at the hours of the park/pool so you don’t miss out on the world’s largest spring-fed pool!

Office Hours: 8am – 5pm

Pool Hours: 8am – 7:30pm (Or Sunset, whichever comes first)

Bathroom/Showerhouse Hours: 8am – 30 minutes before the pool closes

Location

Balmorhea State Park is located in west Texas, and is sort of in the middle of nowhere.  The closest major city is El Paso, and that is nearly 3 hours away!  So get ready for a long drive, but it’ll be worth it!

This incredible oasis that is Balmorhea State Park is 7 hours from Dallas, TX, about 5 hours from San Antonio, TX, and about 7 hours from Albuquerque if you are coming from New Mexico.  So grab some road trip snacks and buckle those seatbelts if you want to stop by this state park.  

Address: 9207 TX-17, Toyahvale, TX 79786

Fees

As with all of Texas’s State Parks, there is a daily entrance fee per person.  The fee for Balmorhea is $7 per adult (13+) and free for all kids 12 and under.  

Unfortunately, this fee is NOT WAIVED if you are camping here.  So even when you book your camping trip and pay in full, the fee of $7 per adult per day is expected when you arrive.  Yes, this adds up very quickly, especially if you are camping with older children.    

If you are looking for a way around the daily fee, you’ll have to check out the Texas State Parks Pass.  This park’s pass is $70 and allows you and a car-full of guests to enter the park for free for an entire year.  The pass also gets you discounts on camping and items from the camp stores.    

Parking

The main parking lot is right next to the pool area.  There are several dozen parking spaces available here.  But on a busy day, this won’t be enough.  

There is overflow parking a little ways down the road within the park as well.  But if that is also full, you’ll be directed to park your car on the neighboring county road and enter the park through the side gate.

History

The natural spring in the park has been there for thousands of years, supplying a much needed watering hole.  The first canals were built in the 1880s by Mexican farmers as a form of irrigation for their crops.  And in 1927 the canals were dredged for better flow.     

But Balmorhea State Park itself has an interesting history that is not unlike the history of other state parks.  In the 1930’s, during the height of the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).  The CCC hired young men 18 – 25 who qualified for aid and paid them to work all around the country.  

A group from the CCC built the park from 1935 – 1940 before opening the park to the public.  What started as a 46-acre area with a spring, became a beautiful park with a spring-fed pool, bathhouses, roads, the motel and pavilions.  

So as you are jumping off the high dive, or simply soaking up some rays around the water, remember the hard working young men who built this park.  

Day Passes

Balmorhea State Park is a hot spot because of the incredible swimming pool and will be very busy on weekends.  So you will definitely want to book a day pass for you and your group so you aren’t turned away if the park has reached capacity.  

445 day passes are available for 8am – 3pm and 200 are released for the afternoon slot (3pm – 7:30pm).  Day Passes can be booked here up to 1 month in advance.  Again, the cost is $7 per adult (13+), and you will want to book your weekend pass as far in advance as possible.  

Things to Do Here

Balmorhea State Park is not a huge park, but swimming in the stunning spring-fed pool is certainly the highlight.  Because the natural bottom pool is up to 25 feet deep, you can scuba dive here. Or you can snorkel so you can see the fish and turtles that are also in the pool.

As for on land, there is a well-constructed and newly updated campground here.  There is also a newly renovated historic motel where people who would prefer not to camp can rent a room.  On the edge of the campground there are reconstructed wetlands where you can view birds and wildlife.  

Swimming

We have mentioned the incredible spring-fed pool at Balmorhea enough, so let’s get into the incredible details!  

Over 15 million gallons of water flow through the pool each day.  The water flows into the pool along with fish and turtles, before flowing eventually into Balmorhea Lake.  The pool covers 1.75 acres and holds 3.5 million gallons of the spring water.  

The water flows from the San Solomon Spring and is a crisp 70 – 76 degrees year round.  This is perfect on a hot summer day!

As for the pool itself, there is no lifeguard on duty.  The stairs to enter the pool are very slippery and you should use caution when entering/exiting the pool.  The water ranges from 3 to 25 feet deep and there are multiple diving boards to enjoy!  

Swimmers under 15 must be supervised by a parent, legal guardian, or an adult over the age of 17. Pets aren’t allowed in the fenced pool area, but are allowed in the day use areas.  Food is allowed, but no glass or any alcoholic beverages.  

Scuba Diving

With Balmorhea’s natural bottom pool, and 25-foot depth, you have an incredible opportunity to Scuba Dive in Balmorhea State Park.  There is a $5 fee to dive here and a waiver that you must sign in the office.  

Diving must be done in a buddy system (2 certified people minimum).  If you aren’t certified, then you must go with a certified instructor.  

There are several other rules when scuba diving here.  For all the information about scuba diving, you’ll want to check out this link.  If you have any other questions, please call (432) 375-2370.  

Birds and Wildlife

With the natural spring that occurs here, there are an abundance of animals and birds that rely on this oasis.  You could see deer, javelinas, turtles, squirrels, lizards, and other small creatures enjoying the fresh water.  

And as for birds, the oasis offers local and migrating birds a place to find food and water.  You could see anything from Hummingbirds, to Ibises, to a wide array of ducks in the colder months.  

So grab those cameras or binoculars and be on the lookout for unique birds and wildlife.  

Ways to Stay!

Ok, so you want to pay a visit to this beautiful west Texas Oasis.  But perhaps the drive is a bit much for a day trip.  You have a few ways that you can stay within the confines of the park to make your trip a little more enjoyable.  

There are 23 campsites where you can set up a tent or park your camper.  Or there is the group campsite, where you and 15 others can camp if you plan a group trip.  

Or if you aren’t the camping type, there are 4 different types of motel rooms.  Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway for 2 or a family vacation of up to 6 people, there is a room for just about anyone!  So let’s dive into the details.  

Camping

If you are looking to take a Balmorhea State Park camping trip, you’ll be happy to know that there are 23 freshly renovated campsites with Electric/Water hook-ups.   And with their clean and updated bathhouse, you won’t totally have to be roughing it, even in a tent.  

The campground itself is a loop comprised of both back-in campsites and pull-through sites.  Each site has a fire ring, covered picnic table, and a place to park your car.  Tents MAY NOT occupy the pull-through sites, but there are plenty of back-in options for tenters.  

If you do end up camping here, be sure to never forget a single detail of your stay!  For just $7 you can remember every aspect of your trip with this Camping Journal I designed with you in mind.  Go check it out.

Group Camping

The group camping option is perfect for any group of friends.  Site #20, the group campsite, is the equivalent of 2 campsites and can host up to 16 people and 4 cars.  There is an additional fee if there are more than 4 vehicles, so I would try to carpool as much as possible.  

This site has 30AMP power, water, a covered picnic table and a pedestal grill.  Tents, stand-alone hammocks, and 1 30AMP camper are welcome here.  

San Solomon Motor Court Motel

And finally, we have reached the life of luxury for a Balmorhea State Park camping trip.  Although, this really isn’t camping.  If you aren’t on a budget, I highly suggest booking one of the newly remodeled San Solomon Motor Court rooms!  

These rooms were originally built in the 1930’s by the CCC but were closed for renovations in 2016.  With setbacks and delays, these motel rooms were finally reopened in July of 2024…so they are practically BRAND NEW!

The rooms blend historic charm with modern amenities and can sleep anywhere from 2 to 6 people.  The Queen Rooms and Single Bed Suites have 1 bed and will sleep 2 people.  The 2 Bed Suites have, you guessed it, 2 beds and they can sleep up to 4 people.  Then the largest room is a 2 Bed Suite w/Trundle Bed and can sleep up to 6 people.  

Each room has heat/AC, a bathroom, provided linens, an indoor sitting area, an outdoor patio, a mini-fridge, a microwave, and cable TV.  From the rooms you can easily walk anywhere in the park, including right over to the pool! 

Price Comparison

Now that you know the ways to stay at Balmorhea State Park, let’s discuss the cost.  This will give you a ballpark price and that way you can budget your trip!  

**Disclaimer: These were the prices as of 4/2025.  Cost does not include taxes/fees nor does it include the daily entrance fees.  Prices can change based on the day, weekend, or holiday.  

Campsites (Tents are Not Permitted in the Pull-Through Sites)

• $20 per night 
• $140 per week

Group Campsite (Up to 16 People)

• $35 per night 
• $245 per week

Queen Room (2 People)

• $125 per night
• $875 per week

1 Bed Suite (2 People)

• $135 per night
• $945 per week

2 Bed Suite (4 People)

• $155 per night 
• $1085 per week

2 Bed Suite w/Trundle Bed (6 People)

• $175 per night 
• $1225 per week

Again, prices can change, but this should give you an idea of the budget you’ll need to stay at Balmorhea State Park.  You can enjoy the rustic life of camping, or a touch of luxury in one of their suites!  The choice is between you and your wallet.  

Balmorhea State Park Expansion

In 2020, an additional 640+ acres were acquired by Balmorhea State Park.  This will expand the current park by sixfold!  And while this land has been obtained for a few years now, it is still in its planning phase.  They hope to expand the park with hiking trails and other opportunities for their guests.  

So while we do not know when this grand opening will happen, you can bet that it will only add to the wonderful experience that is Balmorhea State Park.

Conclusion

The perfect Texas oasis is waiting for you in the form of Balmorhea State Park!  This beautiful place is home to the largest spring-fed pool in the world and with their newly upgraded campground and motel rooms, you will love every minute of your time here!

Whether you come for a day trip to swim in their 3.5 million gallon pool, or you come to stay in one of their quaint motel rooms, you will love visiting Balmorhea State Park.

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.