A short drive north of San Antonio, Texas, the Natural Bridge Caverns are an awe-inspiring geologic wonder, perfect for adventure-seekers of all ages.
Discovered on March 27, 1960, by four college students from nearby St. Mary’s University, these caverns are named for the massive, 60-foot limestone bridge spanning their entrance. The bridge was created when a sinkhole formed around it.
The caverns date back to the early Cretaceous Period, 66 to 145 million years ago. Artifacts dating to 5,000 B.C. and human remains as old as 8,000 years have been found here.
After learning about the presence of the cave, Clara Wuest, the landowner, worked with one of the students and others to develop and open the cave to the public on July 3, 1964.
Natural Bridge Caverns has remained in the family ever since, and in 1971, it was named a U.S. National Natural Landmark. Today, it’s the largest commercially-operated cave in Texas.
Visitors can embark on guided tours to explore vast underground chambers with stunning formations like stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones. And that’s precisely what I did on my way home from celebrating the Holidays on Houston Street in San Antonio.
Cavern Tours
Before I take you below ground to see some of the cave system’s most spectacular formations, let’s review the cavern tour options.
Discovery Tour: This guided tour takes you into the first cave discovered in 1960. The tour lasts about 60 minutes, reaches a maximum depth of 180 feet, and covers a distance of 0.75 miles.
Hidden Wonders Tour: Launched in spring 2023, this tour introduces visitors to a new cave. The tour is about 75 minutes long, reaches a maximum depth of 160 feet, and requires 0.5 miles of walking.
Combo Tours: The combo tour ticket allows you to do both the Discovery and Hidden Wonders tours on the same day, with a break in between.
Same-day adult entry fees are $31 for the Discovery Tour and $32.75 for the Hidden Wonders Tour; the Cavern Combo Tour is $53.50. And you can save a few dollars by buying tickets online in advance.
Adventure Tours: If you want to go off-the-beaten-track, are comfortable in tight spaces, and don’t mind getting dirty, Natural Bridge Caverns offers two more adventurous cave tours. Ticket prices are higher, but so too are the risks.
The 2 to 3-hour St. Mary’s Adventure Tour for $129.99 takes you into a “wild” portion of the Discovery…
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