Texas caves abound with natural delights. Seven show caves are open to the public:
1. Cascade Caverns (Boerne),
2. Caverns of Sonora (Sonora),
3. Cave Without A Name (Boerne),
4. Inner Space Cavern (Georgetown),
5. Longhorn Cavern State Park (Burnet),
6. Natural Bridge Caverns (New Braunfels), and
7. Wonder Cave (San Marcos)
1. http://www.cascadecaverns.com/ -
Cascade is an excellent cave to visit. It is located right in Boerne, Texas. The facilities here are a little worn but there is a 100 foot underground waterfall. To enter the cave one takes stairs into the cave. There are a small flight of stairs that takes one down passing the 'Peep in the Deep', a 60ft deep hole that, in 1939, was the original entrance into the cave. A large part of this cave used to be under water. It was drained and pathways added. This active cave has many areas where one must duck under low ceilings in order to reach the other side. Be careful what you touch because this cave is still an active cave and tends to be rather wet. Most of the ground is level and some areas have puddles of water. One interesting fact about this cave is the lighting system, which is quite a bit dimmer than other caves in Texas. The end of the tour leads you into the largest room in the cave. It is in this room that, if there is enough water, a 90 foot waterfall spills into the cave. There is only one way in, so after the tour you travel back the way you came. Small tripods are allowed in this cave.
Tour length: One-quarter mile, round trip; about forty minutes.
In Boerne you'll find this cave. This is a more remote and less tourist alternative. The guides are very knowledgeable and obviously passionate about educating folks. You're apt to get a more personal tour here, on many occasions we've been the only folks on the tour. Commercialized in 1939, this cave has a unique story behind its name. A contest held to find a name left a local student as winner. The student said that, "The cave is to pretty too have a name" and the cave received its name. There is a flight 126 steps stairs that go down about 90 feet into the cave. Going down the steps is not a problem. However the stairs are the only way in or out of the cave and while going down is easy, going up 126 steps can take a good deal of energy. Still the cave is well worth the last flight up. The cave is full of awesome views of stalactites, stalagmites, and soda straws making the trip well worth it. This cave is said to hold the best 'cave bacon' in the state. One particular 'cave bacon' is about 22ft long. The Grapes is a very prominent feature in the cavern and is the only known formation of its kind in Texas. They are currently restoring the cave to some of its natural state.
Tour length: One-quarter mile; about one hour and fifteen minutes.
Tour length: One-quarter mile; about one hour and fifteen minutes.
If you're up for a Texas size road trip I recommend The Caverns of Sonora, about 170 miles west of San Antonio on I-10. This cave has some of the best formations you'll ever see. They too offer a spelunking tour that includes repelling. This cave has some wonderful formations and scenes throughout the tour. Bill Stephenson, founder of the National Speleological Society, says, " The beauty of the Caverns of Sonora cannot be exaggerated, not even by a Texan." This cave is still very active so...NO TOUCHING! Caverns of Sonora is considered by many experts to be the most beautiful cave in the world. The other caves offer an amazing variety of beautiful speleothems (mineral formations), fossils, and history. The cave is a short drive from the town of Sonora, Texas. While out in Sonora catch a glimpse of the stars at night. The Helictite Room photo depicts a room were their are so many helictites that it made me gasp. Helictites are very special formations. These formations defy the laws of gravity and grow in any direction they can. This cave was full of these unusual formations. The second row, far right photograph shows an almost pure white hall. With caves the purer the mineral deposits the whiter the formation. Walking into this room makes you feel as if you have entered heaven. The soda straws are also another favorite formation of mine. These long thin stalactites are hollow inside making them like straws. They are extremely fragile. In this cave the longest soda straw was four feet long. This is one of the reasons it is important to stay on the trails and not touch anything. I must say though that the cave in Texas with the most soda straws is Innerspace. There are two tours to this cave. The shorter one takes you through the main part of the cave, but don't even think twice about it because the longer route is so beautiful that words can not come close to grasping a description of what I saw.
Tour length: one and a half miles; about two hours.
4. Inner Space Cavern
This cave was discovered in 1963, by construction workers who were drilling for core samples before construction of Interstate Highway 35. The workers punched through the cave and watched as the drill dropped several feet. The hole was enlarged to drop someone in to investigate. It was at this point that the construction company contacted the Austin Spelunker Society to investigate. Once in the cave several fossils were found including that of a saber tooth tiger and other Ice Age mammals. Inside the cave a concrete wall was erected to prevent mudflows through a particular area. The owners decided to take advantage of this space and had an artist come in and paint pictures of the animal remains that were found in the cave. Visitors start the trip into the cave with a ride on the Scenic Subway into the cave. Once inside the cave the paths are easy to walk. This cave is still 95% active and has many wondrous formations throughout the cave. The cave also has shows in an underground theater for educational programs. Like most caves a temperature of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit makes the cave a wonderful treat from the summer heat.
Tour length: one mile, round trip; about one hour and fifteen minutes. Tripods allowed.
Longhorn caverns has been in use for many years and is rich with history. The first people to use the cave were the Comanche Indians, who used a chamber, in the cave, as a council site. In the 1800's Sam Bass, an outlaw, made his hideout in the cave. During the Civil War, the Confederate Army used the cave as a secret place for gun powder manufacturing and storage. The cave was also used as a dance hall and a place of worship by a local church. Finally in the 1930's the cave was opened for tours. The cave entrance is very near the ticket building. A short walk down a flight of stairs, pictured at right, and one finds themselves at the cave entrance. The tour guide meets the group at the gate to begin the tour. Once inside the cave the evidence of geological processes shows one that an underground river once flowed through the area creating smoothly carved limestone. Interesting enough, where other show caves in Texas are in Cretaceous limestone, Longhorn is in Paleozoic limestone. This cave is filled with walls covered with calcite crystals. Some of the crystals are quite large and beautiful. An unexpected treat for me and my sister was finding two Trogloxenes. These are cave creatures, which occasionally leave the cave. These particular trogloxenes we viewed are called 'cave crickets'. This creatures are in fact grasshoppers, not crickets, but fascinating nonetheless. Cave animals have a name all to them selves, Cavernicoles. Another treasure of the cave was that parts where still active. Although this cave was primarily formed from an underground river, there are areas that have the more typical formations expected in caves, stalactites and stalagmites.
Just north of SA on I-35 you'll find Natural Bridge Caverns. In addition to being one of the biggest caves in Texas, this is a great family sport with well developed trails and lots of activities including a more physical tour that includes repelling. There's panning for gem stones and a drive-through wildlife park. Welcome to some of the most beautiful cave formations in Texas.
This Cave was discovered in 1960, and is the largest commercial cave in Texas. The cave is located North of San Antonio and is well worth a visit. There are several lakes and pools of clear cave water. Purgatory Creek is an underground stream that runs through the cave and the trail leads beside this creek. The Hall of Mountain Kings is longer than a football field. This cave is still an active cave so one needs to be sure not to touch the formations. This is a spectacular cave full of draperies, columns, stalagmites, and stalactites. The tour is about 3/4 mile long and lasts for about one and a half hours. The entry is a little steep and slippery, but its not bad. Near the exit is a flight of 35 stairs that are filled with wondrous views. Then another series of sharp turns, called switchbacks, brings you back to the surface. Natural Bridge also provides an Adventure tour ("wild caving") through the south cave. Be prepared to be lowered in by rope and bring some shoes that can get muddy.
This Cave was discovered in 1960, and is the largest commercial cave in Texas. The cave is located North of San Antonio and is well worth a visit. There are several lakes and pools of clear cave water. Purgatory Creek is an underground stream that runs through the cave and the trail leads beside this creek. The Hall of Mountain Kings is longer than a football field. This cave is still an active cave so one needs to be sure not to touch the formations. This is a spectacular cave full of draperies, columns, stalagmites, and stalactites. The tour is about 3/4 mile long and lasts for about one and a half hours. The entry is a little steep and slippery, but its not bad. Near the exit is a flight of 35 stairs that are filled with wondrous views. Then another series of sharp turns, called switchbacks, brings you back to the surface. Natural Bridge also provides an Adventure tour ("wild caving") through the south cave. Be prepared to be lowered in by rope and bring some shoes that can get muddy.
In the year 1893, Wonder Cave was discovered by a farmer who was drilling for water. This cave was, opened in 1903, making it the oldest commercial cave in Texas. The cave is a dry cave, that was formed by an earthquake and lies within the 300 mi long Balcones Fault Zone. The cave is tight, which is really interesting because it helps one realize that you are indeed in a crack of the earth. This cave has a stairway that leads down to the deepest part of the cave, where visitors can see the waters of Edwards Aquifer. Fossils cover the ceilings of the cave in intricate designs of the past. The Balcones fault line is visible in the ceiling, allowing one to see the underside of the line. The deepest part of the cave is 160ft, called the wishing well.
The tour guides are very good about explaining the geology behind the cave. An elevator takes you back up to the surface.
The tour guides are very good about explaining the geology behind the cave. An elevator takes you back up to the surface.
Tour length: 400 feet, ; about forty-five minutes.
