Open Hours: 8am - 6pm, Daily, No Entrance after 5:30pm

All Hays County parks/natural areas will be closed to the public on the following dates:

April 20th, 2025 (Easter Day)

November 27th, 2025 (Thanksgiving Day)

December 25th, 2025 (Christmas Day)

January 1st, 2026 (New Years Day)

Swimming is not permitted at this time (Updated 2025).

Please note: Jacob's Well is normally open for swimming from May 1–September 30 by online reservation only. Swimming in Jacob's Well has not been permitted since June 2022, due to low water levels/unsafe water conditions.

Click here to view USGS flow data

Jacob's Well Natural Area offers approximately 3 miles of hiking trails. Hiking is free to the public and no reservations are needed.

The main trail to Jacob's Well is approximately 0.25 miles in length. A majority of the trail surface is compacted granite, however, a portion of the trail is limestone bedrock. In addition, there are two or three staircases to traverse along the way.

Open Hours:  8am - 5:30pm, Daily

Jacob's Well Natural Area Trail Map

Guided Audio Tour of Jacob's Well Natural Area

Geocaching is a real world “treasure hunt” that uses GPS coordinates to locate various sized hidden containers. Each container has a log to sign and there are often trinkets inside! Caches can be as small as a bison tube or bigger than a five-gallon bucket, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

Jacob's Well Geocaching Guide (English)

Jacob's Well Geocaching Guide (Spanish)

Available year-round upon request

Jacob’s Well Natural Area is happy to host school field trips, scout trips, home school groups and other groups. Please contact us for more information about tours, trips, or other educational visits to Jacob’s Well Natural Area. If you are interested in a field trip for your school or organization, please fill out this form and email it to Katherine.sturdivant@hayscountytx.gov at the Hays County Parks Department.

Hiking Trails, Birding, Scenic Photography, Children’s play area, Picnic areas, Labyrinth, Sundial, Loose Parts Play Area

• Bring plenty of water.
• Swim at Your Own Risk – there is no lifeguard on duty.
• Know your limits – temperatures often reach 95 to 100°F over the summer months.
• Accommodations can be provided to those who need assistance reaching the well. Please let an employee know upon arrival if you require this extra assistance.
• Wear appropriate footwear – there will be a 15-minute hike to Jacob’s Well from the parking lot and the area surrounding the well can be steep and slippery.
• The walk down to Jacob’s Well is not stroller friendly and does involve several sets of stairs – you may want to consider leaving strollers in the car.
• You are welcome to bring snacks or a picnic – Jacob’s Well Natural Area does not provide any food. Coolers are allowed but there is not much space for large coolers near the well. Picnic tables are located throughout the park.
• Due to the sensitive nature of the park, BBQ grills are not permitted.
• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior to swimming so that it doesn’t come off immediately once you hop in.
• Our parking lot is small so please consider carpooling if you are coming with a large group.
• There is limited space in the swimming area – we recommend leaving large inflatable floats and pool toys at home.
• The park gets very busy over the summer so we recommend making swimming reservations as soon as possible (at least 3 weeks ahead of time).
• JWNA does not provide life jackets, please bring your own if needed.

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