Day Trips
Texas boasts many splendid caverns available for spelunking year-round
By Gerald E. McLeod, Fri., Dec. 26, 2008
Texas show caves make a great destination any time of the year. The constant temperature underground is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and the caves stay dry in a rain storm.
Cascade Cavern meanders for nearly half a mile 140 feet below the Hill Country west of San Antonio near Boerne. The 45-minute-to-hourlong tours journey to the back of the cave, where a 100-foot waterfall cascades down a rock wall. 830/755-8080, www.cascadecaverns.com.
The Cave Without a Name got its moniker when the owners decided that it was too beautiful for a name. Outside of Boerne, visitors see an astonishing collection of rock formations during the one-hour tour. 888/839-2283, www.cavewithoutaname.com.
Caverns of Sonora can be found in West Texas southwest of Sonora off I-10 and is well worth the drive. A few years ago, the cave made national news after someone vandalized its signature butterfly formation. Most of the other formations in the cave are still growing. 325/387-3105, www.cavernsofsonora.com.
Inner Space Cavern was discovered during the construction of I-35 near Georgetown. Water dripping through the limestone roof has created a gallery of spectacular rock formations such as soda straws and cave bacon. Visitors are lowered into the cave on a unique cable car. 877/931-2283, www.myinnerspacecavern.com.
Kickapoo Cavern State Park, north of Brackettville, isn't technically a show cave because it hasn't been altered to accommodate tour groups. But if you're up to an adventurous two-hour hike deep underground, then there is nothing like this in the state. Reservations are required for the wild cave tours held on most Saturday afternoons. After exploring the cave during the summer months, stay for the bat emergence from nearby Stuart Cave. 830/563-2342, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/kickapoocavern.
Longhorn Cavern State Park, south of Burnet, had a number of uses before it became a state park in 1932. Formed over millions of years by underground streams, the cave does not have a large quantity of dripstone formations. When the water table dropped, it left behind smooth, sculpted walls. Over the years, the cave has been used by prehistoric animals, American Indians, and Confederates as a gunpowder factory, an outlaw hideout, a speakeasy, and a church. 830/598-2283, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/longhorncavern.
Natural Bridge Caverns, north of San Antonio off I-35, has grown to include activities above ground as well as below. Despite all of the distractions, this is one of the prettiest and best-preserved commercial caverns in the state. 210/651-6101, www.naturalbridgecaverns.com.
Wonder Cave in San Marcos is unusual in that it was formed along a fault line. Because of this, it has very few drip sculptures. Opened to the public in 1915, it is the oldest commercial cave in Texas. Visitors can tour the wildlife park, anti-gravity house, and observation tower after experiencing the cave. 512/392-3760, www.wonderworldpark.com.
912th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of "Day Trips" 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
