Blue Hole
In 2005, the City of Wimberley and the Friends of Blue Hole embarked on a mission to save the Blue Hole from the threat of residential development. After an unprecedented fundraising effort, the land was purchased by the City for use as a community park.
The City of Wimberley has since developed the 126-acre park for the enjoyment of residents, visitors, and future generations. It includes many of the much needed recreational facilities for our growing community and showcases a true gem in the Texas Hill Country.
Hays County
The Blue Hole Nature Center has been awarded $3 million from the Hays County Parks and Open Space Bond, a $75 million voter-approved initiative to enhance parks and conservation. This funding will help create interactive classrooms, a greenhouse, an aquarium, and outdoor learning spaces, expanding nature-based education for Wimberley and Hays County. This investment reflects the county’s commitment to preserving natural spaces and fostering environmental stewardship for future generations.
The Nature Center
The Wimberley Parks and Recreation Department is committed to protecting and preserving our Texas Hill Country culture and natural resources. The Blue Hole Nature Center will provide a safe space in nature to showcase everything that the Texas Hill Country has to offer to Wimberley and Hays County residents. As a designated One Water facility, the Center will incorporate innovative water management strategies to maximize conservation and sustainability.
This facility would serve as an expansion for our award-winning Nature Camp program that provides environmental education initiatives for over 400 Hays County youth every summer. It incorporates native prairie and wetland restoration areas, an adventure play area, an indoor facility to showcase the Hill Country, a greenhouse for Texas Master Naturalist programming, and office spaces to expand department operations.
The Campaign to develop the One-Water Blue Hole Nature Center
The Blue Hole Nature Center is in the early stages of planning and development, and the current draft concept plan will evolve to best serve the needs of the Wimberley community. As this process moves forward, we will seek public input to help shape the future of this state-of-the-art facility.
The two classrooms will be utilized for our award-winning Blue Hole Nature Camp as well as for private rentals and events.
The greenhouse, which will be supplied with reclaimed water, will serve as a year-round programming opportunity for local organizations such as the Texas Master Naturalists and the Wimberley Native Plant Society.
The entry lobby will lead into the Nature Center that will showcase local ecosystems through interactive displays and other nature-based exhibits.
In this plan, we have identified a prairie restoration area and a wetland interpretation area. These two features will be restored to their natural state and used for educational purposes with the help of reclaimed water.
The courtyard will serve as a community gathering space with access to the Nature Center and other interpretive areas.
There will be an adventure play area that will serve as a nature-themed playground for our older youth who have outgrown the current play structures in the park.
As the Nature Center vision continues to take shape, elements of the draft concept plan may be refined, adjusted, or replaced to ensure the best possible experience for the community. Stay tuned for public input opportunities and updates as this exciting project develops!