Looking for caverns in Texas?? Here’s the list of amazing caverns in Texas, United States.
Texas is a large and beautiful state in the United States. Its beauty lies not only on the surface of the land but also beneath the surface. These world-famous, beautiful, and historical caves prove it.
And many of them are located in the Texan region Edwards Plateau including the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Its unique limestone bedrock is the reason behind these underground beauties, and they erode over thousands of years.
Some of the most popular and accessible caverns in Texas are Longhorn Cavern, Natural Bridge Caverns, Caverns of Sonora, Inner Space Cavern, and Cave Without a Name.
Are you interested in discovering all the accessible, mysterious underground caverns in Texas?? Please read the full list and add it to your bucket list.
Caverns in Texas
1. Caverns in Texas: Longhorn Cavern State Park, Burnet
Established in 1932, Longhorn Cavern State Park spreads for a 2.613 km² land area in Burnet County, Texas (1.5 hours northwest of Austin). The park’s top attraction is surely the limestone Longhorn Cavern.
Although it was established in 1932 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, its history runs further back to the mid-1800s, when Anglo-Americans first used this underground space.
Also, it was used by Sam Bass, a 19th-century American train robber, as his hideout place.
Not only that, during Prohibition (in the 1920s), this cavern was used as a speakeasy with live music by the locals. And surprisingly still, it uses for entertaining theater performances and concerts for visitors.
The cavern contains hundreds of sparkling calcite crystals all over its walls that formed thousands of years ago due to a fast-flowing underground river.
If you like to know more about Longhorn Cavern, the park features 90 minutes guided tours. It takes you through lighted passageways of the cave while narrating the geology and history of the cave and the nearby Backbone Region.
Or, if you like to be more adventurous, join with the park’s 3 hours Wild Cave Tour that contains crawling on hands and knees experiences.
And definitely visit the park’s stone Observation Tower to get beautiful views of the area too.
Since Longhorn Cavern State Park does not feature campsites, campers usually visit the nearby Inks Lake State Park for camping.
Address: 6211 Park Road 4 S, Burnet, TX 78611, United States Phone: +1 512-715-9000
Caverns in Texas
2. Caverns in Texas: Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio
Established in 1964, the Natural Bridge Caverns are still the largest commercial caverns in Texas.
This cavern was first discovered by a group of college students in 1960. And still, it is a famous travel destination for school groups and other large gatherings. So, book your tour in advance.
Located near San Antonio (just a 30 minutes drive), Natural Bridge Caverns have a 60 ft natural limestone bridge crossing the amphitheater at the cavern’s entrance. And the span was formed due to the collapse of a sinkhole under it. That’s how its name, Natural Bridge Caverns, was created.
Once you enter the cavern, you will see thousands of years old impressive speleothems and other unique geological formations, including stalactites, stalagmites, and columns.
If you take a guided tour, it will take you 180 feet below the surface through this 70°F cavern. Therefore, surely wear suitable shoes and clothes.
Actually, Natural Bridge Caverns offer you two types of cave tours. Both Discovery Tour and Hidden Passages Tour last for approximately 75 minutes and offers more valuable information.
If you like to be more adventurous, take a separate Adventure Tour to crawl around with headlamps.
The fact is, these caves are still forming and changing since the rainwater runs by dissolving calcites to form speleothems.
Well, that is the underground story. Now, here’s the above-ground story.
Natural Bridge Caverns features adventurous Twisted Trails zip rails, a ropes course, a gift shop, dining options, and a 5,000-square-foot maze.
So, visit Natural Bridge Caverns and experience all these adventures with your kids.
Address: 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266, United States Phone: +1 210-651-6101
Caverns in Texas
3. Caverns in Texas: Bracken Cave Preserve, San Antonio
Here’s the home to the largest colony of bats in the world.
Bracken Cave Preserve is located in southern Comal County, Texas (one hour away from San Antonio. And it attracts over 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats, especially from March to October, to roost.
An Austin-based Bat Conservation International Inc owns this place, and they conserve it. Therefore, you can see a range of native vegetation that they planted to support the wildlife.
The cavern offers you a crescent-shaped 100-foot-wide opening to access it. But the access is strictly controlled to support this rare habitat.
So, you have to join with a guided tour that takes you to the entrance of Bracken Cave Preserve to see the massive flyout scene in summer evenings.
Address: 26101 FM3009, San Antonio, TX 78266, United States
Caverns in Texas
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4. Inner Space Cavern, Georgetown
Inner Space Cavern is one of the oldest and best-preserved caverns located less than an hour north of Austin (near Georgetown). It was first discovered in 1963 by Texas Highway Department while constructing Interstate 35 and opened to the public in 1966.
People really liked this 20-25 million-year-old cavern, So, it attracted thousands of visitors annually.
Inner Space Cavern offers three different tours.
The Adventure Tour takes (a 75 minutes tour) you along a well-lit pathway, while the Hidden Passages Tour takes you along an undeveloped trail of the cave.
The flashlights along the cave will help you to see the impressive columns, thin hollow tubes, transparent calcite (soda straws), flowstone (cave bacon), and diverse rock formations. Normally, the Adventure Tour is suitable even for kids since the Hidden Passages Tour is a bit wilder.
And the most adventurous tour is the Wild Cave Tour which features off-trail caving through undeveloped areas. Don’t worry; it doesn’t require previous caving experience. But, visitors must be 13 or older. If you visit on weekends, you can surely join with Wild Cave Tour.
Inner Space Cavern is best known for its many fossils and animal bones because it contained remnants of a saber tooth tiger and woolly mammoth bones. So, if you are into archeology, do not miss this cave.
Importantly, guides at Inner Space Cavern are really knowledgeable and well-trained. So, you can learn a lot from them.
Address: 4200 S IH 35 Frontage Rd, Georgetown, TX 78626, United States Phone: +1 512-931-2283
Caverns in Texas
5. Caverns of Sonora, Sonora
Welcome to one of the world’s most magnificent show caves, Caverns of Sonora.
Caverns of Sonora is located on a private ranch in Sonora, TX, between San Antonio and Big Bend National Park. (just 3 hours from San Antonio)
First, the entrance area to the cave is filled with exciting tourist attractions like hiking trails, shops selling homemade fudge, gold panning stations, and many more.
And once you enter the cave, you can see magnificent calcite crystal formations, incredible side-winding helictites, magnificent columns, draperies, and soda straws. Therefore, Caverns of Sonora mostly attracts professional cave explorers, geologists, and many other adventure seekers.
Caverns of Sonora offers three different tours for you.
The standard Crystal Palace Tour, a 90 minutes walking tour, takes you over 150 feet below ground through the will-lit cavern.
And Discovery Challenge tour is for adventure seekers as it contains a 50-foot rappel climb. If you are interested, make your reservation now.
Also, Caverns of Sonora features a special Photography Tour for photographers. It allows you to place a tripod and take photos. (Book it in advance)
On the other hand, the Caverns of Sonora offers an excellent campground for camp lovers, too; since there’re tent sites, RV sites, restrooms, and showers, no need to worry about facilities.
So, come along with your family grab this underground adventure.
Address: 1711 Private Rd 4468, Sonora, TX 76950, United States Phone: +1 325-387-3105
Caverns in Texas
6. Caverns in Texas: Cascade Caverns, Boerne
Cascade Caverns is a historically and geologically important limestone solutional cave located 3 miles from Boerne, Texas.
Opened in 1932, it has been an attractive show cave for so many years now. According to the records, it was formed during the Lower Cretaceous Period.
Visitors can observe the remains of saber-toothed tigers, mastodons, 18th-century artifacts from the Lipan Apache, and many other interesting things inside the cavern.
Cascade Caverns has a constant average temperature of 60-65°F, making it comfortable during the 45 minutes Downunder Tour. And the tour takes you through lighted corridors and chambers for half a mile, 132 feet below the surface.
On the other hand, the cave features another tour called Adventure Tour for adventure seekers. It is a group tour that lasts for four hours. And since this tour takes you through crawling and muddy areas, guides will offer you flashlights, knee pads, and protective equipment.
How about camping in Cascade Caverns?? Sounds great. Cascade Caverns features tents and RV campsites with all the facilities. And also, there are two nature trails near the campground to explore the surface.
Address: 226 Cascade Cavern, Boerne, TX 78015, United States Phone: +1 830-755-8080
Caverns in Texas
7. Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park, San Marcos
Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park is a natural theme park located in San Marcos. Its most highlighted attraction is obviously the Balcones Fault Line Cave or the Wonder World Cave, formed due to a huge earthquake in ancient times.
Aside from that, the park contains an anti-gravity house named Topsy-Turvy, Texas Wildlife Petting Park, Tejas Observatory Tower, and a trackless motor train.
Opened in 1958, Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park was the first show cave in Texas. Since then, it has been one of the top tourist attractions in Texas.
The park offers you guided tours to see the impressive natural features of the Wonder World Cave. Its lighted concrete pathways will make you more comfortable.
So, come along with your kids for a fun picnic at this park.
Address: 1000 Prospect St, San Marcos, TX 78666, United States Phone: +1 512-392-6711
Caverns in Texas
8. Caverns in Texas: Cave Without a Name, Boerne
The Cave Without a Name, yeah, that is the real name of it. It is a limestone solutional cave in the Texas Hill Country region.
Being a National Natural Landmark, this cave is located 40 miles from downtown San Antonio (near Boerne). And this living natural cave also considers one of the most beautiful caves in the world too.
The Cave Without a Name’s most highlighted feature is obviously its spectacular rimstone dams, flowstones, stalactites, cave drapery, stalagmites, and soda straws formations.
Touring inside the cave is comfortable, easy, and fascinating as it contains a constant temperature of 66°F with brightly lit and well-maintained walkways; you can tour inside the cave even with kids.
Taking a one-hour guided tour is beneficial as it explains everything inside each room of the cave.
If you are looking for entertainment, The Cave Without a Name covers that part too. It hosts special entertaining concerts every month inside the cave. So, check their calendar and experience the natural acoustics.
Campsites are also available in this place.
Address: 325 Kreutzberg Rd, Boerne, TX 78006, United States Phone: +1 830-537-4212
Caverns in Texas
9. Jacob’s Well, Texas Hill Country
Located in the Texas Hill Country (near the town of Wimberley), Jacob’s Well is a perennial karstic spring that flows off from the bed of Cypress Creek.
Jacob’s Well’s mouth is 12 feet wide and contains cool, clear waters. Containing several chambers inside, the well is deep for almost 120 feet. But, it is a great swimming spot that attracts locals.
It was first explored by the divers from the Jacob’s Well Exploration Project. And they have discovered two main passageways. One of them runs for about 4,500 feet, and the other one runs for 1,000 feet.
If you are an expert in cave diving, Jacob’s Well is open for you to dive through its chambers to explore all.
Caverns in Texas
10. Caverns in Texas: Colorado Bend State Park, Bend
Colorado Bend State Park is a huge state park located in the Texas Hill Country region. This park is most famous for its stunning waterfall, Gorman Falls. But, it also features several exciting underground caves too.
There are several types of Colorado Bend cave tours. The most family-friendly cave tour is Discovery Tours that take you through impressive caves while explaining its geological facts. The tour normally lasts for 45 minutes.
On the other hand, the Adventure Tour is an intermediate cave tour that takes deeper with personal flashlights, knee and elbow pads.
After taking a cave tour, surely visit the park’s wonderful Gorman Falls. The waterfall hike is also fun and exciting.
To grab all these experiences, it is better to camp in Colorado Bend State Park with your family and friends. And the park contains tents and RV campsites with all the facilities too.
Address: 2236 Park Hill Dr, Bend, TX 76824, United States Phone: +1 325-628-3240
Caverns in Texas
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11. Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Brackettville
Opened in 1991, Kickapoo Cavern State Park is a famous state park that features 20 known caves.
Located about 22 miles from Brackettville, TX, the park attracts plenty of cave explorers annually. Out of 20 known caves, 2 are large and significant (Stuart Bat Cave and Kickapoo Cave).
The park does not allow for self-exploration to support the delicate habitats inside the caves. Therefore, you have to get a guided tour that takes you through the less developed, exciting caves.
The guided tour to Kickapoo Cave usually lasts for approximately 3 hours, and it is definitely a muddy and challenging terrain. So, you need to wear properly, bring two sources of light, and other essential things. That means this cave tour targets professional cave explorers and hikers.
The other cave, Stuart Bat Cav is is home to thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats. They roost in the cave from the spring through the fall. So, visitors can see a marvelous flying show in the evenings during these months.
If you are not into cave exploring, you can try biking, hiking, birding, and camping like outdoor activities in Kickapoo Cavern State Park with your family. The park features 18 miles of birding and hiking trails and 14 miles of mountain biking trails.
Keep an eye on gray foxes, white-tailed deer, raccoons, and other wildlife in the park while hiking.
Address: 20939 Ranch to Market Rd 674 N, Brackettville, TX 78832, United States Phone: +1 830-563-2342
Caverns in Texas
12. Caverns in Texas: Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area, Rocksprings
Again, a natural bat habitat in Texas.
Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area near Rocksprings in Edwards County is home to over 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
If you are coming from San Antonio, it will take only two hours to get there. Devil’s Sinkhole is a large vertical cavern that drops 350-feet down the ground.
Bats come to the Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area, especially between May and October. So, if you visit this area in the evenings of warmer months, you can see a spectacular explosion of bats coming out of the cave.
You have to take a guided walk to Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area to observe the sinkhole, bats, birds, and other fauna and flora in the area.
(There’s a safe observation deck to observe the sinkhole)
Address: Rocksprings, TX 78880, United States Phone: +1 830-683-2287
Caverns in Texas
13. Caverns in Texas: Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center, Round Mountain
Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center is a non-profit wildlife-rich conservation sanctuary in Round Mountain. It features one of the most stunning canyon waterfalls in Texas, with a wet grotto & savannah trails. Therefore, it attracts plenty of tourists and locals annually.
Founded in 1976, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center is located just 45 minutes from Austin.
The guided tour will take you through a limestone crevice, Wescave with a 40 feet waterfall, and a sheltered canyon of lush plant life, Wescave with a 40 feet waterfall flows into an emerald pool.
That means this place is filled with exciting hikes, swimming opportunities, and cave adventures.
So, just book a guided tour for your family to explore all the natural wonders in Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center.
Address: 24814 Hamilton Pool Rd, Round Mountain, TX 78663, United States Phone: +1 830-825-3442
Caverns in Texas
- Longhorn Cavern State Park, Burnet
- Natural Bridge Caverns, San Antonio
- Bracken Cave Preserve, San Antonio
- Inner Space Cavern, Georgetown
- Caverns of Sonora, Sonora
- Cascade Caverns, Boerne
- Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park, San Marcos
- Cave Without a Name, Boerne
- Jacobs Well, Texas Hill Country
- Colorado Bend State Park, Bend
- Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Brackettville
- Devil’s Sinkhole State Natural Area, Rocksprings
- Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center, Round Mountain
Caverns in Texas
