Discoveries down under: A new way to cave at Natural Bridge Caverns

September, 2022
new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

Guide Ethan Fagan navigates a narrow ledge on the new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns. Pam LeBlanc photo

I’m perched at the side of an underground pit, watching nervously as a guide shuffles across a ledge in front of me. 

It’s my turn next. And even though I’m wearing a harness that will keep me safe if I slip, the prospect of plummeting into the 30-foot hole feels very real. 

I tighten the buckle on my helmet and inch forward, clipping the carabiner dangling from my harness onto a safety rope affixed to the wall. Then I ease out onto a rock shelf and slowly tiptoe my way across the Fairy Pit.  

In a few minutes I arrive safely on the other side. I’ve just conquered one of the more exciting parts of the new St. Mary’s Adventure Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns. Before I finish the three-hour tour, I’ll also scamper up two steep inclines and slosh through a subterranean pool of water.  

This, my friends, is the best way to explore a cave. 

The new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns, step by step

new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

David Young prepares to lower himself down a rock wall during the new St. Mary’s Adventure Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns. Pam LeBlanc photo

Unlike the traditional guided tours of the caverns, which stick to paved pathways and don’t involve mud, water or scrambling up rocky inclines, this one serves up something much more authentic. 

RELATED: Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas 

new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

The namesake natural rock bridge stands at the entrance to Natural Bridge Caverns. Pam LeBlanc photo

To prepare, I spent about 20 minutes gearing up and practicing clipping and unclipping my safety equipment. Then we hiked down a paved trail beneath the namesake natural rock bridge at the cavern’s entrance. A few hundred yards in, tour guide Ethan Fagan lifted a rope that blocked access to a much more rugged passageway.  

“There’s lots to see back there,” Fagan said. He and team leader John Young, who’s also with us today, helped design the new tour at the cave north of San Antonio. 

We follow a dirt passageway, and I’m glad I’ve worn sturdy shoes with good grip. I point my headlamp down the rocky tunnel. Delicate straws hang from the ceiling and pillars as thick as my leg rise from the ground. Some of the cream-colored formations are streaked with red and black.  

Wading through water

At one point, we forge a watery, ankle-deep pool of water. There’s no point trying to keep my feet dry, so I just walk right through it. There’s mud, too, and pretty soon I look like I’ve been in a mud wrestling match. (Showers are available at the end, and I’ve brought a change of clothes, so I don’t mind.) 

RELATED: A river adventure to reset your life – rafting the Grand Canyon 

new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

Guide David Young sits in front of a wall of formations inside Natural Bridge Caverns. Pam LeBlanc photo

A bat flaps past, ignoring us. We see baseball-bat sized columns called broomsticks, and formations that look like fried eggs. In one spot, the guides point out what looks like a cup of crème brulee perched atop a pedestal.  

“The formations are absolutely incredible,” Young says, and he’s right. 

History behind the new Adventure Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

The new tour is named for St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Four students from the caving club at the university discovered much of these caverns back in 1960. Exploration has never really stopped. A little more than 3.5 miles have been surveyed, but cavers still check out new “leads,” where the passages could continue. At its deepest known point, this cave reaches 304 feet below the scrub-covered surface. 

I want to know what it’s like to experience utter darkness, so the two guides and I flip off our lights. It’s so dark I can’t even see my hand in front of my face.  

“This is like going to church for me,” Young says, as we sit quietly.  

Young and Fagan designed the tour to give visitors the chance to put on a harness and get a taste of what a real caver experiences when he or she creeps through a wild cave. They hope the experience will inspire those who take it to protect delicate cave environments that exist throughout Central Texas and beyond. 

new adventure tour at Natural Bridge Caverns

Guide David Young scans a room full of limestone formations inside Natural Bridge Caverns. Pam LeBlanc photo

The new St. Mary’s Adventure Tour is one of two wild tours at Natural Bridge Caverns. The four-hour Discovery Adventure Tour is more physically demanding, and participants must crawl, stoop, and squat their way around obstacles. The St. Mary’s Tour doesn’t call for any crawling but does require climbing and the use of technical equipment. No previous experience is needed for either tour. 

If You Go

Getting there:

Natural Bridge Caverns is located about 50 miles from downtown Austin, at 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road.  

Stay:

There is no on-site lodging at Natural Bridge Caverns.

Do:

The St. Mary’s Adventure Tour costs $129.99 and is offered twice daily. Group size is limited to six guests. No experience is needed. Other more traditional caving tours are also available, and the park also has a ropes course, maze, fossil mining and jungle gym. 

Eat & Drink:

Big Daddy’s Sweets, Treats and Brew, located at the park, serves ice cream, fudge, nuts, beer, wine and more. The Cavern Café in the park’s visitor center offers pizza, chicken strips, burgers, hot dogs and more.  

Pro Tip:

Chances are you’ll get muddy. Bring a change of clothing. Showers are available. Info: https://naturalbridgecaverns.com/ 

Follow Austin Travels


Austin Travels is a women-owned, Austin-based travel magazine committed to highlighting destinations in Texas and beyond through the lenses of diverse and talented writers.

Subscribe

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

From tortoise to penguins, wildlife takes center stage on a Galapagos Islands cruise

Bluebonnets are back: A dozen spots to see spring wildflowers in Central Texas

Bluebonnets are back: A dozen spots to see spring wildflowers in Central Texas

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

Three close-to-Austin places to camp

What’s new on the slopes this ski season

What’s new on the slopes this ski season

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Dipping into nature in Mexico’s Baja California Sur

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Five days in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Five park picks for fall camping season

Five park picks for fall camping season

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

An Alaskan Adventure of a Lifetime

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Discover the raw beauty, warm culture and painful past of the far-flung Marshall Islands

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

Taking the Leap: Coasteering off the Coast of Northern Ireland

Slowing down to soak in the beauty of Big Bend

Slowing down to soak in the beauty of Big Bend

Camping on Crutches

Camping on Crutches

The best campsites anywhere, ever

The best campsites anywhere, ever

Finding powder and snowy adventures at Purgatory Ski Resort

Finding powder and snowy adventures at Purgatory Ski Resort

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Eat, Drink, Dance and Ride at Cycle Zydeco

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Best bet for birding? Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

At Machu Picchu, a lost city in the Andes inspires a traveler

Riding Rocky Hill Ranch

Riding Rocky Hill Ranch

From jet boats to ski runs, family adventure awaits in Queenstown

From jet boats to ski runs, family adventure awaits in Queenstown

In Wydaho, stay in Idaho and ski at Grand Targhee in Wyoming

In Wydaho, stay in Idaho and ski at Grand Targhee in Wyoming

From scenery to bars, our picks for the best of North American ski resorts

From scenery to bars, our picks for the best of North American ski resorts

Three and a half cool days in historic Pensacola, Florida

Three and a half cool days in historic Pensacola, Florida

Eat, Sleep, Dive: A live-aboard dive trip in the Turks and Caicos

Eat, Sleep, Dive: A live-aboard dive trip in the Turks and Caicos

Three days in Monterey: Capturing California’s coastal charms

Three days in Monterey: Capturing California’s coastal charms

New terrain, new lifts and more: What’s new at ski resorts this season

New terrain, new lifts and more: What’s new at ski resorts this season

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Surf Ireland: Catching waves on the Emerald Isle

Discoveries down under: A new way to cave at Natural Bridge Caverns

Discoveries down under: A new way to cave at Natural Bridge Caverns

A rare retreat to mountainside luxury at Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

A rare retreat to mountainside luxury at Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch

Scalloping, saltwater springs and seashell strolls on Florida’s Sports Coast

Scalloping, saltwater springs and seashell strolls on Florida’s Sports Coast

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Eight beginner-friendly places to paddle in Central Texas

Treasuring time in the Pacific Northwest’s Olympic National Park

Treasuring time in the Pacific Northwest’s Olympic National Park

The Green O: Mother Nature’s Posh Playground

The Green O: Mother Nature’s Posh Playground

Explore the great outdoors in little Castell, Texas

Explore the great outdoors in little Castell, Texas

Fishing, golf and more in the Santee region of South Carolina

Fishing, golf and more in the Santee region of South Carolina

Getting back to nature at the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

Getting back to nature at the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

Six places to park your campervan in Texas this Spring

Six places to park your campervan in Texas this Spring

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Private Paradise: Diving into French Polynesia’s Dreamy Manihi

Last Call: Cat Skiing at Colorado’s Keystone Resort

Last Call: Cat Skiing at Colorado’s Keystone Resort

Secret Sundance: Uncovering the unexpected in Heber Valley, Utah

Secret Sundance: Uncovering the unexpected in Heber Valley, Utah

Diving into French Polynesia

Diving into French Polynesia

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

Hiking and Swinging through French Polynesian Paradise

A rare glimpse at pearl farming in Tahiti

A rare glimpse at pearl farming in Tahiti

Squeezing in every snowy moment at Solitude Mountain Resort

Squeezing in every snowy moment at Solitude Mountain Resort

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

A river adventure to reset your life: Rafting the Grand Canyon

Fishing up old memories and making new ones at Inks Lake State Park

Fishing up old memories and making new ones at Inks Lake State Park

Discover the diversity of LBJ National Grasslands

Discover the diversity of LBJ National Grasslands

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

A guide to the best kettle ponds on Cape Cod

Central Texas Camping Guide

Central Texas Camping Guide

A fall paddle down the Devils

A fall paddle down the Devils

Fort Collins: Paddling, Hiking and Biking, Oh My

Fort Collins: Paddling, Hiking and Biking, Oh My

Women, wind and waves: Surfing for adventure

Women, wind and waves: Surfing for adventure

Explore the gravel roads around Fort Collins on the FoCo Fondo bike ride

Explore the gravel roads around Fort Collins on the FoCo Fondo bike ride

Mountain biking mecca Mesa Verde Country is a must-ride

Mountain biking mecca Mesa Verde Country is a must-ride

Bike to Bentonville for 150 miles of trails and much more

Bike to Bentonville for 150 miles of trails and much more

Set your sights on Steamboat Springs this summer

Set your sights on Steamboat Springs this summer

Colorado’s Calling –– Take a summer trip to this cool state now

Colorado’s Calling –– Take a summer trip to this cool state now

Discovering hints of home in Red River

Discovering hints of home in Red River

Diving into the history of falconry at The Broadmoor

Diving into the history of falconry at The Broadmoor

Becoming a birder at Galveston’s FeatherFest

Becoming a birder at Galveston’s FeatherFest

Adventures Await: Roaming the road in a campervan

Adventures Await: Roaming the road in a campervan

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

Seminole Canyon’s world-class rock art is a lens to history

For every season: A house divided over Estes Park, Colorado

For every season: A house divided over Estes Park, Colorado

Plan Your Outdoorsy Adventure

Plan Your Outdoorsy Adventure

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay

Discover history and simple pleasures in Baffin Bay

Escape crowds and capture memories in snowy Southwest Montana

Escape crowds and capture memories in snowy Southwest Montana

What to know before you book a ski trip during a pandemic

What to know before you book a ski trip during a pandemic

Go to Red Mountain for $10 cat skiing, a barrel-shaped sauna and zero crowds

Go to Red Mountain for $10 cat skiing, a barrel-shaped sauna and zero crowds