Texas is definitely beautiful inside and out! Cascade Caverns in Boerne is living proof! I absolutely love cavern tours, and while each one is different and unique, some are a little more unique than others, and Cascade Caverns doesn’t have the “tourist” feeling you get from some of the others. It really feels as if you are stepping down into the cave on a Sunday afternoon, just as they did 100 years ago.
Cascade Caverns has been declared a Texas Historical Site for its combination of history, geology & archaeological significance.
Check out my Mommy Tips for making the most of your visit!
1. Know Before You Go
The cavern is 64 degrees year round, but no need to bring a light jacket, walking makes it very comfortable.
Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes!
The park provides flashlights, but usually to just a few from each group. Bring your own, and talk to your kids about shining in other people’s faces! Also, I like to bring a glow stick or necklace for my kids, so I quickly know where they are in the cavern. Make it easy for them to conceal during the very popular “Lights Out” moment!
As with every tour, the best place is closest to the guide! Our guide was great, and was happy to answer lots of questions for us! I was thrilled at how knowledgeable he was!
Potties are located near the entrance, be sure everyone goes before you start the tour!
Click HERE for a coupon to save $1 Off Child OR $2 OFF Adult Admission OR $5 Off Camping at Cascade Caverns! One coupon per family visit – not valid with other offers. Code: SanAntonioKidsGuide.com
2. Picnic in the Park
The park doesn’t sell food, but you can certainly bring a picnic basket to eat before your tour under the shade trees!
3. Rex
The kids loved standing near the dinosaur for pictures after we picked up our tickets and toured the exhibits inside the main building.
The Rex’s story is that he was built for the 1993 Patrick Swayze movie, Father Hood, which features the park in the movie.
4. Civilian Conservation Corp.
Formed by President Roosevelt as part of his New Deal in 1933, as a public works initiative, the works of the CCC can be seen throughout the park! The first ticket booth was built by the CCC from the “swiss cheese” like limestone so prolific in the area. No longer in use today, the cash register still sits inside.
5. Peep in the Deep
The original entrance to the caverns was just a large whole in the ground, where CCC workers were lowered into in a bucket. They worked to clear out and build an entrance with stairs.
6. Cave formations
Cascade Caverns has some amazing formations, some you don’t see at the other Texas caverns! During and following a good rain, the wedding dress formation is a 90′ waterfall from the top of the cavern!
There are also huge domes caused by the frequent floodings in the cave.
Our favorite is the mastadon bones inside the cavern, which were trapped there tens of thousands of years ago!
7. Cascade Caverns Salamander
Texas is filled with diverse species, such as the Cascade Caverns Salamander, which only lives the water in these caverns.
8. Adventure Cave Tours
Cascade Caverns offers monthly Adventure Tours. Access to the Adventure Tours is by this tube in the middle of the lake, where they must swim out to go down into the lower caves, and eventually into the Edwards Aquifer! My seven-year-old can’t wait to be old enough to go, since the minimum age is 16.
After a little over 45 minutes, we again saw the light peeping through the top of the cavern!
9. Hiking Trails
Following our caverns tour, we decided to hike above ground on the trails around (and over) the caverns! We saw several deer, a rabbit and heard a nearby donkey.
10. Geocaching
While hiking, we found one of the geocaches located on the trails, and then ran back to the main building to find another! If you would like more information on geocaching, click HERE to visit the geocaching.com link, which has an informative video, and can get you started for free! We enjoy it so much, we have downloaded the $10 app to our phone, and it’s definitely worth the money! If you enjoy it, follow us on geocaching.com at Fun in the Texas Sun!
11. Camping
Cascade Caverns also has an RV park and offers tent camping under the trees. During our visit, we were almost completely alone, and the kids loved running around, playing football and exploring!
The park doesn’t sell firewood, but allowed us to pick up fallen wood on the trails. We brought a small camping hatchet to make it fit our fire ring.
Things to do in Boerne
The Cibolo Nature Center and Farm has a great walking trail and plaster replica of dinosaur tracks found nearby. They offer classes for children and adults. Click HERE for more information.
Cascade Caverns takes you down inside Texas to see a living cavern. Click HERE for more information.
Cascade Caverns
226 Cascade Caverns Rd, Boerne
830-755-8080
Click HERE to visit their website
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
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