Located 389 miles west of Killeen-Fort Hood and 116 miles southeast of Odessa, this truly unique wonder of the Chihuahuan Desert spans an acre in size and holds 3.5 million gallons of water so crystal-clear that swimmers can nearly see the bottom even in the deep end, which measures up to 25 feet.

Because it is a natural springs pool fed by a massive aquifer system that starts 400 miles to the northwest, splashers may also be sharing space with various endangered fish species and even turtles. Other non-human creatures in the area include white-tail deer, javelina, squirrels, lizards and dragonflies.

San Solomon Springs currently flows at a rate of about 15 million gallons per day, an amount equal to filling 300,000 bathtubs. The water maintains a constant temperature between 72 and 76 degrees year-round and has served as a water source for thousands of years.

Mexican farmers dug the first canals by hand and used the water to irrigate crops, selling their products to residents of nearby Fort Davis. When the railroad arrived, a cattle ranching industry began in the 1880s.

In 1934, the state parks board acquired nearly 46 acres around Solomon Springs and the Civilian Conservation Corps created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt built the 46-acre park and 1.3-acre pool, along with concession building, two bath houses and other improvements using local limestone and adobe brick between 1935 and 1940.

In the ‘30s and early ‘40s, 1st Cavalry Division troopers and their horses from Fort Bliss camped nearby and were the first to use the new park, which soon became a popular stopover for tourists heading to the Davis Mountains. Today, more than 200,000 people visit every year.

Along with the pool that is open daily, the park has picnic sites, an outdoors sports area and a playground, along with 34 campsites and 18 rooms available at San Solomon Springs Court motel. Scuba diving and snorkeling equipment is available for rental.

Swimmers pay only the park entry fee, which is $7 for adults, with children 12 and under admitted free. No lifeguard is on duty and attendance is limited to 650 people per day. Children younger than 15 must be supervised at all times by a parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult over the age of 17. Pets are not allowed in the fenced pool area.

About 30 miles south of Balmorhea State Park is the historic town of Fort Davis, a former frontier military post during the Indian Wars. Here is a partial recounting of the town’s background from the National Park Service website:

“From 1854 until 1891, troops stationed at the post protected emigrants, freighters, mail coaches and travelers on the San Antonio-El Paso Road hoping to reach the goldfields of California. From 1854 to 1861, troops of the Eighth Infantry spent much of their time in the field pursuing Comanches, Kiowas and Apaches.

“With the outbreak of the Civil War and Texas’ secession from the Union, the federal government evacuated Fort Davis. The fort was occupied by Confederate troops from the spring of 1861 until the summer of 1862, when Union forces again took possession. They quickly abandoned the post and Fort Davis lay deserted for the next five years.

“Fort Davis’s primary role of safeguarding the west Texas frontier against the Comanches and Apaches continued until 1881. In June 1891, as a result of the army’s efforts to consolidate its frontier garrisons, Fort Davis was ordered abandoned, having ‘outlived its usefulness.’ Seventy years later, in 1961, the fort was authorized as a national historic site; a unit of the National Park Service.”

While you’re in town, stop by the Black Bear Restaurant at Indian Lodge in Davis Mountain State Park. Maybe grab a bite at Blue Mountain Bar and Grill or have a sandwich at Stone Village.