Jacob's Well - Texas Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

Jacob's Well has been famous as an artesian spring for generations. It is a natural attraction that not only supplies water to the community but provides a living environment to some rare wildlife that live in and around its waters. It is now protected and monitored in an attempt to keep the water supply clean and flowing. Scuba divers learned the hard way that this natural spring is deep and dangerous. Now only highly qualified and certified divers are permitted to do testing or investigating the caverns from which the water flows. It is worth the day trip to come here and walk the trails and see the spring.

The Texas historical marker is mounted on its pole facing toward the Visitor's Center. Maps of the trails, brochures on butterflies, and a butterfly garden are at or near the Visitor's Center.

Marker Number: 22391 Marker Text: Groundwater flowing through a complex system of fractures within the Trinity Aquifer emerges as an artesian spring known as Jacob's Well. The once-fountaining water, as a near-constant temperature of 68 degrees, provides the majority of the flow to Cypress Creek in the Wimberley valley. From the 12-foot-diameter opening, the main shaft descends to a depth of 20 feet before extending into four water-filled caverns. At one mile in length, Jacob's Well is the second-largest submerged cave system in Texas. It provides habitat for many species of fish, turtles, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians, such as the Fern Bank Salamander. Described as a natural wonder in an 1854 newspaper article by Texas Land Agent, Jacob De Cordova, Jacob's Well is still known as one of the State's most mysterious and beautiful geological features. For thousands of years, the cool clear spring waters have attracted humans, from Native Americans to European pioneers. In 1996, to protect against development that could reduce the well's flow and threaten its very existence, local landowners formed the Wimberley Valley Watershed Association. They created the 81-acre Jacob's Well Natural Area,which became the Hays County's first nature preserve. Jacob's well lured early scuba divers who wished to explore and map it. Reputed to be one of the most dangerous places on Earth to dive, it claimed the lives of at least eight divers. As a result, only specially trained divers are allowed into the caverns to measure and monitor conditions. Despite the restricted access for security reasons, Jacob's Well Natural Area remains a popular recreational and ecological destination in Texas. (2018) Marker is property of the State of Texas

Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture in your log. You and your GPS receiver do not need to be in the picture. We encourage additional information about your visit (comments about the surrounding area, how you ended up near the marker, etc.) in the log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   01/27/2023 WayBetterFinder visited it