There are 7,000 caves in Texas, and perhaps even more are waiting to be discovered every day. Millions of years of Earth’s history are hidden, preserved and sitting in total darkness just below our feet. MySA visited a few of the Texas Hill Country’s coolest subterranean wonders recently. 

It was opened to the public in 1939. In 1940, they had a contest to name the cave, but a young boy famously said that it was “too beautiful to name,” and that’s how it got its moniker. The limestone cave is a cool 66 degrees, with columns and towers of stalactites and stalagmites that are millions of years old, formed in chilling structures that resemble dinosaur teeth and bones. But, thankfully, this cave is well lit and spacious, with one of its halls serving as a concert venue for special events. 

Today, if you tour the commercial part of the cave, your tour guide, like mine, will turn off all of the lights for about one full minute. 

It’s eerily quiet, pitch black, and cold. You’ll be reminded that for years, light and warmth were a privilege for our ancestors and not easily available at the touch of a button. Inside the cave, you’ll see a bat or two and maybe a salamander, but not much more beneath.

This historic cavern located in Boerne is 125 million years old, and the oldest show cave in Texas. Once believed to be an entrance into the underworld by Lipan Apache tribes when they discovered it in the 1970s, the start of its commercial history began when the owners started private tours in the 1870s.

They opened to the public in 1932. The cave is a cool 63 degrees and 230 feet deep. Guided only by a flash light, rather than man-made lights, the wet, cold cave is a little more rugged than spots like Cave Without a Name. Though both are beautiful, this one really humbles you. Call me crazy, but I feel small inside of something that’s stood the test of time for millennia. 

Be sure to say hello to the bats, vultures, salamander and cave crickets and cave shrimp. The cave, though, does have a history of flooding.

Unlike a lot of the polished show caves you’ll see in Texas, this hidden gem at Enchanted Rock State Park will require you to spelunk through granite fissures after hiking up through the park’s summit. I wouldn’t exactly call it a guided experience. I had trouble finding this area on my own, so I recommend only going with experienced pros. Picture a dark, tight crawl, guided only by white arrows chalked onto the rocks. Here’s a quick video that might help you find it. 

“We do want to caution visitors looking to explore the cave, especially if they aren’t familiar with it,” TPWD told MySA in 2021. “The cave can be difficult to navigate, and we want to ensure that visitors remain safe.”

Should you choose your own adventure here in this cave, be sure to expect plenty of spiders, once described as “meaty” by a San Antonio hiker.Â