2.
Now you see why travelers stopped here. There is no spring; the pool is fed largely by rain falling in July, August, and September, and by melting snows. When full it is about 12 feet deep and holds about 200,000 gallons of water.
DO NOT THROW ANYTHING INTO THE POOL!
If you look closely around the walls at about eye level, even on the far side, you can see names carved into the rock. Most of these date from 1850 to 1900, and were the work of emigrants and soldiers.
How did they get over there? In the early days, there was probably a sandbank around the edge, and people could ride or walk around the pool. In 1942, a heavy rock fall filled the waterhole. When the sand and rubble were removed, the old dam was reinforced and lined with concrete.
Do not write or carve on the cliff, and please don’t touch. Touching the inscriptions causes them to wear away more rapidly.
The mud formations on the face of the rock above the pool are the nests of cliff swallows. These birds come to El Morro each year to nest and raise their young.
The waterhole