When triple-digit temps hit the Hill Country, you can escape to the coolest place—underground. Hidden beneath our scenic region lies a wonderland of caves and caverns with naturally maintained year-round temperatures in the 60s and 70s. Formed over millions of years, these subterranean treasures not only showcase awe-inspiring natural beauty, but they also provide a glimpse into the geological and cultural history of Central Texas.
Much of the Hill Country sits atop the Edwards Plateau, a geologic formation composed largely of porous limestone. Over time, rainwater seeps through the cracks in the rock, dissolving the limestone and forming vast cave systems. This process has created a dense network of underground formations, including both commercially developed show caves and wild, unexplored underground networks. There are an estimated 3,000 known cave systems in the state with potentially thousands more on private property.
Rocking the Cave Trail
Five of these caves, mostly an hour’s drive from Dripping Springs, have teamed up to offer visitors a unique journey: the Texas Cave Trail. Pick up a passport at the first cave you visit and have it stamped at subsequent caves. The itinerary includes Natural Bridge Caverns, Longhorn Cavern, Cave Without a Name, Inner Space Cavern, and the Caverns of Sonora. Complete your journey within a year, and you’ll receive a Texas Cave Trail T-shirt.
Texas’ Largest and Most Popular
Visited by more than 400,000 people annually, Natural Bridge Caverns is one of Texas’ seven show caves and the largest by volume. Located just north of San Antonio, it was discovered in 1960 by four students from St. Mary’s University who convinced the landowner to let them explore what they thought might be a cave system.
It turns out they were right. Natural Bridge Caverns, opened to the public in 1964, comprises more than two miles of chambers filled with breathtaking stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones.
Steeped in History and Folklore
A uniquely different experience can be had exploring Longhorn Cavern, where the temperature stays a cool 68 degrees, located in Longhorn Cavern State Park near Burnet. Unlike Natural Bridge Caverns, it was formed by an ancient river rather than a slow-drip mineral buildup, which is evident in the cavern’s smooth, sculpted walls.
Developed by the Civilian Conversation Corps in 1934, the cave has been used in many ways over the centuries, from a Native American animal “trap cave,” to a hideout for outlaws, and even as a nightclub. On the 90-minute walking tour, you’ll hear stories of the cave’s rich history and see where mastodon bones were discovered. You might even spot the tiny, endangered tricolored bat, which makes its home in the cavern.
Too Beautiful for Words
The Cave Without a Name, in Boerne, earned its moniker from a contest held in the 1930s, when a young boy deemed it too beautiful to have a name. Keep your eyes peeled for bats as you descend into this stunning show cave filled with spectacular stalactites, delicate soda straws, and cave drapery. The cave maintains a comfortable 66 degrees year-round and offers daily, one-hour tours through its six rooms. If you’re looking for a unique experience, get tickets to a concert performed in the acoustically rich Queen’s Throne Room.
Giant Ground Sloths and Extinct Camels
Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown might not have been discovered if Interstate 35 hadn’t been built. In 1963, a Texas Highway Department team found more than they expected when they drilled into the cavern. Since then, paleontologists have unearthed bones from Ice Age animals, including saber-tooth cats, giant ground sloths, and extinct camels. The cave offers tours of varying difficulty, from a classic walk-through to a four-hour Wild Cave Tour, which involves hiking, crawling, and squeezing through tight spots to spy spectacular formations.
Discovered by a Dog
Around the turn of the 20th century, on a ranch in Sonora, legend has it a dog chased a raccoon into a 20-inch opening in the rock, a discovery that would later be known as the Caverns of Sonora. The farthest cavern on the Texas Cave Trail, at about the halfway point to Big Bend, is worth the trek. The cavern is home to a dazzling array of helictites—twisted formations that seem to defy gravity—making it popular with cave enthusiasts and photographers.
TexasCaveTrail.com
1. Natural Bridge Caverns
Five different cave tours of two caverns, plus zip rails, a 5,000-square-foot outdoor maze, and more | 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, San Antonio | NaturalBridgeCaverns.com
2. Longhorn Cavern
Part of the Texas State Parks system, offering several cave tours of varying difficulty, gemstone mining, picnicking, and camping | 6211 Park Road 4 S, Burnet | VisitingLonghornCavern.com
3. Cave Without a Name
Cave tours and monthly concerts, gift shop, and snacks | 325 Kreutzberg Road, Boerne | CaveWithoutAName.com
4. Inner Space Cavern
Four tours of varying difficulty, gemstone panning, and a new zip ride | 4200 S. I-35 Frontage Road, Georgetown | InnerSpaceCavern.com
5. Caverns of Sonora
Three tours, including a photography tour, gemstone panning, hiking, and tent and RV camping | 1711 Private Road 4468, Sonora | CavernsOfSonora.com