On a quest to find a fun and free place to splash in some cool water, our family took a little midweek summer day trip to the Llano River Slab, and it was a perfect way to have some fun in the sun. Just west of Kingsland, about a 1 hour and 20 minute drive from Austin, the Slab is a two-mile swimming hole in which you’ll find a huge outcropping of pink granite beneath the river, which provides plenty of small, shallow, natural wading pools to sit and cool down.

While the water is not particularly deep, it’s definitely refreshing and relaxing. On a weekday morning, there were few people there, allowing for our family to enjoy the peaceful sounds of flowing water as we swam around with tiny fish enjoying a few little rushing rapids. The Slab provides such a beautiful setting to lounge.

You’re likely to find most people near the FM 3404 crossing, which is where people park along the road, but you can hike out for miles in either direction, making it easy to distance from others. There is plenty of open space to relax. Of course, we can only imagine that it gets very crowded on weekends, which means you might have more walking to safely find a good spot to set up. Do take note of “no trespassing” signs along the sides of the Slab, as you’ll need to stay on the waterbed and avoid any private property along the sides.

If you head out on a day trip, be sure to take along sunscreen and hats (there’s really no shade there), plenty of drinking water, towels, snacks, folding chairs or anything you’d love to have on hand for a water play day. We definitely recommend water shoes for an easier time walking along slippery rocks. Also, be sure to pack out any trash on our way out!

To get to the Slab, you can take RR 1431 west through Kingsland, then turn west on FM 3404 and drive a few miles to the Llano River. If you’re curious about the river flow before heading out, you can take a look at the Lower Colorado River Authority’s river report.