Best Caves in Austin Tours

While searching for exciting and fun things to do in Austin, consider booking a tour to explore the caves in Austin! Fun fact: there are over 3,000 documented caves in Texas! If you think they all look the same, then you would be pleasantly shocked! Here are the best tours of caves and caverns close to Austin, TX.

Map of Caves in Austin Area

There are 4 amazing caves in Austin, TX less than 1 hour away from the city. If you’re ready to start your epic journey to see more extraordinary caves, then be sure to save this map. Start your planning your central Texas caves bucket list tour and see even more caves in Texas.

Best Caves in Austin Area

Use this guide to explore the best caves in Austin. These attractions are 1 hour or less from the city, and are the perfect idea for an afternoon adventure.

Inner Space Caverns

Address: 4200 S I-35 Frontage Rd, Georgetown, TX 78626

Phone: (512) 931-2283

Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 AM- 4 PM Sat- Sun: 10 AM- 5 PM

If you’re looking to see a true Texas treasure, make reservations to see one of the most fascinating caves in Austin, Inner Space Caverns. These Austin caverns are wonderfully preserved and have something to interest everyone. While on your .5-mile Adventure Tour you can expect to see amazing views of cathedral rooms, unique formations and even fossils from the ice age.

As you leave the welcome center and gift shop, you’ll make your way down a steep and paved hill where the entrance to a large tunnel awaits you. It is here that an entirely different world from the surface awaits you. While gazing at the hundreds of layers of surrounding rocks, you’ll learn geological terms describing the cave, and how long these slow developing structures took to form. It’s an average of 1 cubic inch per 100 years!

There’s plenty to see in the cave including a flowstone that is over 500,000 years old and is still growing to this day. Also discovered inside these caves in Austin were 42 different species of fossils including a mammoth, camel and a saber-toothed tiger. Recovered fossils are on display inside the cavern and in the welcome center. Your tour guide will show you “Lake of the Moon,” and countless stalagmites, stalactites and even some that have joined together.

While exploring the caverns keep your eyes open for bats. They aren’t always in the cave, and if they are it’s very possible that you won’t even notice them. They prefer to hibernate deep in the cave and are very small and still.

History of the Cavern

These caverns close to Austin, TX might be easy to get to, but they almost weren’t discovered. While preparing to build the highway, I-35, the cave was accidently discovered in 1963. As you tour the caverns your guide will point out the first entrance to the cave: a 2-foot-wide hole named the “Discovery Hole.” It was there that spelunkers were able to access the cavern and explore one of the area’s most precious hidden treasures that we still continue to discover today.

For more details on this cavern, click here.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Adventure Tour	Mon- Thurs: $23.95/ Adult, $17.95/ Child Fri- Sun + Holidays: $24.95 Adult & $18.95 Child	Available Monday- Sunday 1 hour 15 Minutes Tour
Hidden Passages Tour	Mon- Thurs: $28.95/ Adult, $20.95/ Child Fri- Sun + Holidays: $29.95/ Adult, $21.95/ Child	Available Monday- Sunday 1.5 Hour Tour
Wild Cave Tour	Adults Only (+13 yrs): $125/ person	Must call for reservation 512-931-2283
Ice Age Tour	$29.95/ Adult, $21.95/ Child	Must call for reservation 512-931-2283

Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center

Address: 24814 Hamilton Pool Rd, Round Mountain, TX 78663

Phone: (830) 825-3442

Hours: Wed-Thurs: 9 AM-5 PM Friday-Sun: 9 AM- 4 PM

Locally known as the Westcave Preserve, is one of the most distinctive caves in Austin, and also one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen. It is also one of the few cave tours that is completely outside. On the Guided Canyon Tour, your guide will take you on a beautiful 1 mile roundtrip nature walk rated as a moderate to difficult trail. All tours are weather permitting.

While your guide educates on the importance of preserving the land and all caves close to Austin, TX you’ll soon make your way down the stairs made of rocks and logs into the bottom of the canyon. You’ll then be greeted with tall cypress trees and ferns bordering the edge of a quiet and hidden creek. After an easy shaded walk, you’ll arrive to see the captivating, delicate and natural formation of the grotto of Westcave Preserve.

Surrounded by a display of dense greenery, the overhanging 40-foot cliff of the grotto has a steady drip of spring water that gathers into a small and protected pool below its large structure. Your guide will lead you to the side where you can venture into the cave under the ceiling of the grotto to really grasp how large the structure is. There is also another cave nearby that you can explore freely and observe the formations such as stalactites.

The area once privately owned is now a 76-acre park that opened to the public in 1974. Before the time of preservation for these caves in Austin, the area had issues of vandalizing and littering. Now the park does everything in its power to ensure that this incredible landmark will not disappear and be subjected to damage.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Hamilton Pool Preserve

Address: 24300 Hamilton Rd, Dripping Springs, TX 78620

Phone Number: 512-264-2740

Hours: Mon- Sun: 9 AM- 12:30 PM 2 PM- 5:30 PM

If you’re searching for a cave to sit back, relax and marvel at Hamilton Pool is just for you! Out of all the caves in Austin, Hamilton Pool is seen as iconic and, on most Texans, and travelers bucket list. It is recommended by most to visit due to its occasional waterfall and swimming hole at the base of its overhanging cliff. Unlike the other caves, this grotto is seen at the end of a self-guided .5 mile out and back trail that typically takes visitors less than 20 minutes to reach.

In the beginning, the trail leading to the grotto is steep with loose rocks, but soon will definitely be worth the hike. Near the parking lot, you’ll find complimentary walking sticks to use, and you’ll return them on your way back to the car. Once at the bottom of the canyon, you’ll see gorgeous tall cypress trees. These trees surround a soft flowing creek, so clear you can see small fish. As you follow the trail that borders the creek you’ll cross a small wooden bridge, and then you’ll see it!

The grotto is an impressively large overhanging limestone cliff with lush plant-life all around it. It’s complimented by jade-green swimming hole at its base. Water from the top of the 50-foot cliff trickles from its edge into the pool. It’s a beautiful natural formation, but when the area has seen a large amount of rainfall, and the waterfall appears there’s no question why it’s been called an iconic gem near Austin.

After the 2021 winter storm, the cliff of grotto shifted when ice formed in the cracks that lead to falling rocks. The trail is no longer open that allow visitors to explore up close and under the cliff of the grotto, but there are still viewing areas that give great vantage points. Swimming off the small beach is also very popular at the park. Water temperatures in some areas can reach down to the 50’s. Expect to see small and large fish like catfish close to the shore. Due to bacteria levels, swimming can be restricted at times so always get updates before your visit.

The grotto at Hamilton Pool Preserve formed when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to a massive erosion thousands of years ago. Westcave Preserve is only a short drive away if you would like to see both of these magnificent structures in one day. Reservations are highly recommended in advance throughout the year.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Self-Guided Tour	Reservation Fee per Vehicle: $12 (1 vehicle max, 8 people max) CASH ONLY Entrance Fee: $8/ Adult (13-61), $3/ Senior, $0/ Child	Available Monday- Sunday Reservation: 9 AM-12:30 PM Reservation: 2 PM- 5:30 PM
Guided Tour	Currently Suspended. Click alerts for updates.	Unavailable

Natural Bridge Caverns

Address: 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266

Phone: (210) 651-6101

Hours Mon-Fri:10 AM- 4 PM Sat-Sun: 9 AM- 9 PM

Why go somewhere to see 1 cave, when you can visit Natural Bridge Caverns and see 2 separate caves in Austin? These caverns are so massive they are considered the largest caverns in Texas! Outside of San Antonio these caverns close to Austin, TX has something for everyone to experience.

Make plans to visit the Discovery Tour that is part of the first discovered cave, and a popular 1-mile guided walking tour. The tour offers several large cave rooms to explore with cathedral ceilings and breathtaking views. Another detail that makes these Austin caverns so spectacular is how well they are lit so that guest can truly see the beauty of the caverns.

Points of interest include “Sherwood Forest” that is 18 story’s underground, the deepest part of the tour. Also, the “Hall of the Mountain King” where you’ll view the largest room in the caverns is astonishingly 350-feet long, 100-feet wide with a massive 100-foot-tall ceiling. That’s almost as big as a football field!

Another impressive part of the tour is the “Castle of the White Giants,” that shows the largest display of intricate formations found in all the caverns. The feeling of being underground but having so much space to see all the layers of the caverns is unlike any other experience.

The Hidden Wonders Tour just recently opened and is a totally new experience to visitors in the park. The stunning sound and light show allow visitors to sit and stare as colored lights dance across a large cave room exposing beautiful formations in sync to thrilling instrumental music.

At the end of the Hidden Wonders Tour is also the world’s first belt assisted transport ride in a cave, much like what you would see in a large airport. The conveyer belt carries visitors to outside of the cave to save its guest from exertion.

While standing in a large sinkhole at the entrance to the caverns, visitors can see exactly where the owners came up with the name for the park. A 60-foot-tall structure shaped like a bridge naturally formed after a previous cave room collapsed and left behind part of its ceiling. The caves were discovered by a few college friends that were studying the area, came across the cave system and became eager to excavate it. In 1960 after crawling and climbing through 2 miles of passageways they found what is now known as the Discovery Tour.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Discovery Tour	Prices Vary By Date: $26.25-$30/ Adult, $17.25-$19.50/ Child	Available Monday- Sunday 1 Hour Tour
Hidden Wonders Tour	Prices Vary By Date: $26.50-$30/ Adult, $18.75-$20.75/ Child	Available Monday- Sunday 70-75 Min. Tour
St. Mary’s Tour	$130/ Person	Must call for reservation 210-651-6101 2-3 Hours Tour
Adventure Tours	$170/ Person	Must call for reservation 210-651-6101 3.5- 4 Hours Tour

More Popular Caves Outside of Austin

There are some amazing caves and caverns near Austin, Texas that are just a short drive away. However, if you’re ready to check off your Central Texas caves and caverns bucket list and journey outside of the city, here are 3 more cave tours definitely worth exploring.

Longhorn Caverns State Park

Address: 6211 Park Road 4 S, Burnet, TX 78611

Phone: (512) 715-9000

Hours: Mon- Fri: 9 AM- 5 PM Sat-Sun: 9 AM- 6 PM

These amazing caves in Austin is a beautiful display and the perfect excursion while exploring the Hill Country. With the only accessible cavern in Texas that was formed by an underground river, the popular 1.1-mile tour guided Cavern Walking Tour is fun for the whole family.

Points of interest include the “Hall of Marble.” While it is not real marble, the dolomite rock displays a soft smooth surface that leaves visitors in awe by its presents. While admiring the caverns, discover tri-colored bats up close on your tour without disturbing their hibernation. These “chicken nugget” sized bats are so quiet and still, chances are that unless your guide points them out you won’t even know they are there.

The history of these Austin caverns is fascinating and was opened to the public in 1932. When the CCC became involved in 1934 they began a serious excavation of the caverns. The CCC removed over 3,000 dump trucks worth of material by hand to clear out the caverns. This allowed the caverns to be more available to view and later they were able to assist the state park to become more developed.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Cavern Walking Tour	$22.25/ Adult, $18.25/ Child (4-11)	Available Monday- Sunday 1.5 Hours Tour
Wild Cave Tour	$100.25/ Person	Available Saturday- Sunday 3 Hours Tour

Cave Without a Name

Address: 325 Kreutzberg Rd, Boerne, TX 78006

Phone: (830) 537-4212

Hours: Mon- Sun: 10 AM- 5 PM

While caves in Austin are all beautiful, the famous Texas Hill Country Cave Without A Name is the only Texas cave that offers orchestra concert events inside the cave! While on your tour a guide will take you down 126 steps and through 6 cave rooms. The tour is a little over .5 miles out and back.

Traveling 80 feet below the surface, each cave room overs a different and beautiful presentation of geological formations created over thousands of years. Points of interest in the cave include the unique stalagmite called “Modern Art” named after the variations of what visitors think it resembles when staring at it.

Nearby is the popular “Nativity Scene” that visitors like to gaze at and find the faces and poses of the famous biblical scene. Be on the lookout for an over 20-foot cave bacon on your tour and see if it really resembles a favorite breakfast treat.

With phenomenal acoustics and a majestic setting, there’s no doubt that experiencing an intimate concert inside a cave should be on your bucket list. Sounds of singing and orchestra fill the chambers creating a true magical ambiance. Book tickets in advance to experience a very unique performance you’ll be talking about for years.

Ticket Prices and Tours

Guided Tour

$22/ Adult. $11/ Child (6-12)

Available Monday- Sunday 1 Hour Tour

Cascade Caverns

Address: 226 Cascade Cavern, Boerne, TX 78015

Phone: (830) 755-8080

Hours: Mon-Sun: 9 AM-5 PM

While you’re exploring caverns close to Austin, TX make a pit stop at Cascade Caverns. Only 30 minutes away from Cave Without A Name, you can see both while you’re in the area! The guided tour that is the most popular is the Down Under Tour where you’ll walk a little under 1 mile.

Discover 5 cave rooms as you explore 132 feet underground. On parts of the tour the walls can become very narrow, and the ceiling can become very short. Take your time while walking. Unusual creatures are also known to live in the cave. They include a cascade salamander, tri-color bats, cave ground beetles and 2 types of frogs.

The last chamber contained a quiet and small gathering of waterfalls that come together to form a cascade. It is here where the owner’s wife named the cavern.

Rex, the dinosaur prop that greets visitors in the parking lot, was actually a gift from Hollywood and Walt Disney Studios after the movie “Father Hood” was filmed on location.

While educating guests about the history of the cave you’ll soon learn just how much time and effort it took to prepare the cave for your tour. The cavern was documented as discovered in 1929 when the current landowner Alfred Grey requested a formal excavation of the cave. The tour first begins outside where guides will show visitors the original entrance “Peep in the Deep.”

Ticket Prices and Tours

Down Under Tour	$19.95/ Adult, $14.94/ Child (4-11)	Available Monday- Sunday 45 Min- 1 Hour Tour
Aquifer Tour	$100/ Adult (16+ Only)	Available Monday-Sunday 2-3 Hours Tour
Flashlight Tour	$24.95/ Adult, $19.95/ Child (4-11)	Available Monday- Sunday 1.5 Hours Tour

Interesting Facts About Caves in Austin

There is so much to learn when it comes to understand the terms used to describe what you might find in a cave. Also, what’s the difference between a cave and a cavern? A cavern is just a way to describe the type of cave.

It’s crazy to think that they take over a million years to form. Water mixed with a mineral called calcite falls from the ceiling to form dripstone, flowstones, stalagmites and stalactites. One helpful way to remember the difference between a stalagmite and stalactites is that stalagmites might reach the ceiling, whereas stalactites hold tight to the ceiling.

Tips To Know Before Your Visit To Caves In Austin

• Wear comfortable non slip shoes due to water on the rock floor and heavy condensation.
• There may be water that drips on you, or mud on the ground so dress appropriately.
• The temperature in caves drops down to 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit year round. It’s best to consider wearing layers.
• Dogs, strollers and even wheelchairs are typically never accepted to bring on cave tours.
• Do not touch the walls of the cave. These establishments are doing their best to preserve the area so do not touch and do not collect anything inside the caves.
• Most tours involve walking .5 miles to over 1 mile. Consider bringing a bag that will hold your water bottle.
• Bathrooms are not available down in the caves, so be prepared.
• Make reservations in advance. While doing so, ask if large groups or field trips are scheduled to visit that day so that you can avoid a large crowd.
• Arrive 20-30 minutes before your tour. It will allow you to prepare and hear about any important information before your tour begins.
• Most caves and caverns encourage photography so don’t forget your camera and prepare for low lighting situations.
• Before you start your Texas cave tour journey, ask if the park participates in the Texas cave passport. Once you’ve visited these parks, plan a trip to the Caverns of Sonora to a complete your passport and earn a free shirt.

Are there more caves in Austin worth exploring? Is there more to know before you go? If so, leave a comment below! Happy Texas cave travels!