Ingram Dam – Ingram, Texas - Atlas Obscura
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Ingram Dam

Ingram, Texas

A dam that moonlights as a gigantic, brutalist waterslide. 

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Ingram Dam Brianross13
Ingram Dam Brianross13
Ingram Dam Tracy / CC BY 2.0
Safety sign posted at Ingram Dam forssa (Atlas Obscura User)
Entrance to Ingram Dam in the fall forssa (Atlas Obscura User)
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In a dry, hot place like West Kerr County, Texas, one of the first things someone looks for is a way to cool down. A spillway dam that’s become an accidental waterslide is the go-to solution for the denizens of Ingram. 

Ingram Dam is a short dam with a shallow 45-degree incline, hidden just off the roads towards the edge of town. It is the most popular swimming in the region, due to the algae that grow along its surface. Algae blooms cover the concrete dam surface in a soft, slick layer of green, cutting down on friction and making it a perfect waterslide. 

The official recognition of Ingram Dam as a waterslide makes it extremely unique; it is such a fixture of the town that a store across the street even sells inner tubes to ride down it. It’s one of the best spots to swim along the Guadalupe River. The sport is so popular that some even consider it the biggest draw of the city of Ingram. 

Know Before You Go

As a natural pool, no lifeguard is posted. Slide and swim at your own risk. 

concrete dams water
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