Discovered in 1960, this is the largest commercial cave in Texas, with a 60-foot natural limestone bridge at its opening. giving the caverns its name. As an easy day trip for Austin or San Antonio, it is a showstopper. Cave tours are a popular attraction year-round, thanks to their moderate temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit with 99% humidity. Here are the top things to do at Natural Bridge Caverns.
Top Things to Do at Natural Bridge Caverns
Take a Cave Tour or Two
Explore the Twisted Trails Zip Rails and Ropes Course
Sluice for Gemstones
Run its Maze
Grab an Ice Cream
Attend a Special Event
Top Cave Tours in Texas
Why Visit Natural Bridge Caverns
Texas features a handful of show caves, caves that are beautiful enough for people to climb underground to explore them. Of the show caves in Texas, Natural Bridge Caverns is the showiest of the showy. Add to its natural beauty; it is cooler underground than it is on top, especially in the dog days of summer.
Natural Bridge Caverns is conveniently located between San Antonio and Austin, making it a popular day trip for families and school groups. I have been to Natural Bridge Caverns several times over the years and it is always a crowd pleaser.
Don’t forget the fun things to do above ground too. Visitors will find gold mining, mazes and a ropes course.
Standard Cave Tours
Natural Bridge Caverns offers several tours though all include stairs and are not suitable for strollers. It is a wet cave so the formations are growing, so it is important not to touch the cave features and wear shoes with grip.
Discovery Tour
This is the tour to take if this is your first visit. It goes through the first section discovered and uses ramps and steps to access the caverns. It provides an excellent introduction to Texas Caves, including how they are formed.
Visitors will see stalagmites and stalactites, soda straws and flowstone. All created by water, Natural Bridge Caverns is a wet cave and features are still being made.
The Discovery Tour features are lighted, and the tour lasts about an hour. Guests will walk about 3/4 of a mile, and this tour includes stairs. The tour goes down 180 feet into the cavern.
The Natural Bridge Caverns uses demand pricing. Adult tour prices start at $26.75, and kids start at $17.
Hidden Wonders Tour
This tour, which opened in 2023, features an entirely new section of the cave. It is best for those who have been on the Discovery Tour.
We saw the new chambers with their stalagmites and stalactites, soda straws, flowstone, and broomsticks. Each portion of the cave has a different feature. To me, the Hidden Wonders Tour showcases more delicate cave features.
In addition, this tour offers a light show at the end and a space large enough for a ballroom (Natural Bridge Caverns holds events in this space). For a unique way to exit the cave, visitors ride a conveyor out of the cave. It’s like the belt ski resorts use for their beginner hills.
For Hidden Wonder Tours, participants will walk 1/2 a mile, including stairs, and the tour lasts 70-75 minutes. This tour goes 160 feet into the cave, and guests can ride the conveyor out or climb out on an incline.
The Natural Bridge Caverns uses demand pricing. Adult tour prices start at $28.25 and kids are $18.25
Both cave tours can be combined, and there is a combo ticket. Adult combo ticket prices start at $46.50 and kids are $30.25.
Lantern Tour
One of my favorite ways to explore caves is by lantern light. Natural Bridge Caverns features a new Lantern Tour first thing in the morning. Visitors will each carry a small lantern, and the main cavern lights will remain off.
The Lantern Tour participants will walk .75 miles, including stairs and the tour lasts 70-75 minutes. This tour goes 180 feet into the cave,
The Natural Bridge Caverns uses demand pricing. Adult tour prices start at $31.75, and kids start at $20.75. Reservations are required for this tour.
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Adventure Tours
For those who want to get down and dirty, an adventure tour is the way to go. Each lasts several hours and participants will be low crawling and in the mud (remember the cave is wet).
St. Mary’s Adventure Tour
This is a new tour exploring the wild cave section of the Discovery Cave. Participants will see black calcite, stunning calcite box work along with the stalagmites and stalactites Natural Bridge Caverns is known.
During the Adventure Tour, participants will use a roping technique to traverse, ascend and descend cave formations.
This cave adventure last 2 to 3 hours, and reservations required. It costs $129.99 per person.
Discovery Adventure Tour
Take the Discovery Adventure Tour to explore like the cave’s founders. Like in the 1960s, participants will explore the wild cave off the Discovery Tour without lights, paths or guardrails.
The Discovery Adventure Tour is guaranteed to get everyone dirty. This cave exploration last 3 to 4 hours, and reservations required. It costs $169.99 per person.
Both adventure tours can be combined for a full day of cave exploring. The COMBO Adventure Tour costs $249.99 per person, and reservations required.
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Above-Ground Activities at Natural Bridge Caverns
Twisted Trails Zip Rails and Ropes Course
With heights of 60 feet, guests can weave in and out of 50 elements while strapped into a safety harness. Features include climbing walls, rails to ride (kinda like a zip line), rope bridges and climbing features across four levels. Guests have 45 minutes to experience the Twisted Trails.
Size and weight restrictions apply.
There is even a miniature version for younger kids.
Mining Company
Head to a gift shop and purchase a bag of jewel-stubbed dirt. Outside visitors will find a sluice with running water and screens.
Kids (and adults, too) can dump their dirt into the screen, and magically, the semi-precious stones will start to appear. This is one of the top things to do at Natural Bridge Caverns.
This is one of the better mining activities out there, with lots of space at the sluice.
AMAZE’n Ranch Roundup
Great for all ages, visitors meander through the 5,000-square-foot maze, looking for several checkpoints and clocking their time to be the first in their group to finish.
At each corner of the maze there are covered lookouts to aid in solving the maze. It was fun for my entire good for teens, adults and grandparents.
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Where to Eat at Natural Bridge Caverns
Big Daddy’s Sweets Treats and Brew
This is an old-fashioned parlor and general store. Visitors can buy lemonade, hand-dipped ice cream, and fudge along with beer and wine.
This is located between the above-ground attractions.
Caverns Cafe
Inside the visitor center, visitors will find hotdogs, pizza, chicken tenders, burgers and more.
There are also picnic areas at Natural Bridge Caverns.
Special Events at Natural Bridge Caverns
With events scattered throughout the year, visitors can enjoy more than the cavern tours.
Bracken Bat Flight
Teaming up with nearby Bracken Cave, visitors can experience one of its summertime bat flight programs. In the evening, one of the largest emergences of Mexican Free Tail bats exits Bracken Cave.
Only a few dates are released each as this space is protected.
Cavern Fall Fest
Each fall, the area celebrates with hay bales and pumpkins. Visitors wear costumes and live music is also provided.
Christmas at the Caverns
Natural Bridge Caverns decorates for the holidays with lights and a 30-foot tree,
History of Natural Bridge Caverns
In 1960, four college students discovered the caverns on a working ranch owned by the Wuest family. The family invested in everything and developed the caverns.
The cavern opened to the public in 1964. Then-Texas Governor John Connally dedicated the caverns as “a jewel in the crown of Texas attractions.”
Over the years, the exploration of the cavern has continued. In 1971, Natural Bridge Caverns was declared a National Natural Landmark. In 2004, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places.
Located at 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, northwest of San Antonio. Open daily with seasonal hours. Natural Bridge Caverns offers free parking.
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