“Nope.” That was the singular word the that popped into my mind as our guide described how the first explorers entered the cave below, lowered by rope down a shaft about the width of pizza box, with just a lamp on their head to pierce the darkness. “Nope.” Fortunately, modern explorers can easily access this cave on the Hidden Wonders Tour via a gently sloped tunnel and a series of stairs. What lies below is, in my opinion, the finest publicly accessible cave in Texas.
The gently rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country show little evidence that the ground below is riddled with caves and underground streams – the geological equivalent of Swiss cheese, or a giant sponge. The Hidden Wonders Tour explores the most recent cave to be discovered and opened to the public at Natural Bridge Caverns, just north of San Antonio, Texas. Most caves are discovered by folks wandering around and stumbling upon holes in the earth, and for some reason deciding they should stuff themselves into the void. This cave is different. The property owners suspected there were more caverns on the property and started drilling bore holes. When they found a hole that ran out of rock, they figured they may have found a new cave. So, they did what any crazy people would do, they made the hole a little bigger and one-by-one stuffed themselves into the darkness.
The explorers were rewarded with a pristine cave system filled with a wide variety of colorful formations. Because this cave had no direct natural opening to the surface there is no graffiti, vandalism, or oxidation of the formations. Also missing is the ever-present smell of bat guano that you get in many caves. Today a state-of-the-art lighting system is used to accent the natural beauty of the cavern while tour guides provide a narration of the cave’s formation and history.
Like everything else in Texas, the cave is big. Big enough that its largest chamber is used as a ball room for special events, and an adjacent chamber features a light and music production that provides a dramatic interpretation of the geological birth of the cave. We have visited every commercially developed cave in Texas, and this one is by far the most beautiful, well preserved, and accessible.
Some important things to know about this particular cave tour…
If you are claustrophobic – this tour does not have any narrow passages or confined spaces. You are never more enclosed than you would be in a typical hallway. A very dark, damp, humid, hallway - with a spectacular view.
If you are mobility challenged – there are several flights of steps down into the cavern, but they have a “belt assisted transport” or BAT to scoot you back up to the top. Essentially a very long conveyor belt. You can also walk up the long ramp beside the BAT. Either way, there are no steps to get back the surface, so if you can get yourself down you don’t really have to worry about getting back out. And you will get a hint of how that head of lettuce feels on the checkout belt at the grocery.
And if you are afraid of the dark – the cavern is very well lit. There is one brief moment where they turn off the lights so you can experience “total darkness,” but they will let you know in advance and it only lasts for about 10 seconds. Plus, there will be enough glow from all the smart watches and the screen of the jerk next to you that is filming the darkness on his go-pro for his YouTube channel. Yeah, even 160 feet deep in the bowels of the earth it has become difficult to find total darkness.
We highly recommend checking out the Hidden Wonders Cave Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns should you find yourself in Central Texas. You can also take the Discovery Tour to explore the original cave, check out the Twisted Trails Zip Rails and Ropes Course, try you luck panning for gems in the Sluice, challenge yourself to navigate the AMAZEn’ Ranch Roundup, and of course, find plenty of things to eat and souvenirs to take home. Whether you spend a few hours, or the whole day, Natural Bridge Caverns has something for everyone and will entertain your whole family.
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