The considerable charms of the Texas Hill Country, which include bluebonnet-blanketed meadows, natural swimming pools, and vineyards, even extend underground. In the region's elaborate cave systems, spooky chambers and multitudes of icicle-esque rock formations elicit subterranean oohs and ahhs.
Starting Friday, May 12, travelers to this scenic area between San Antonio and Austin will get access to a newly opened cavern that was previously accessible to skilled spelunkers only.
Known as the Hidden Cavern, the cave is part of the same geologic system as Natural Bridge Caverns, a Historic National Natural Landmark that's already billed as the largest commercial cave in Texas.
Following a 6-year, multimillion-dollar expansion, Hidden Cavern is now part of the same operation.
(Cathedral Room on the Hidden Wonders Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio | Credit: Natural Bridge Caverns)
Visitors can see the now-accessible area via the new Hidden Wonders Tour, a guided experience enhanced by high-tech lighting, freshly constructed and carefully reinforced passageways, and a stainless-steel bridge spanning the cavern's deepest point.
According to a news release, the areas covered in the Hidden Wonders Tour "never had a natural opening to the surface," so "incredibly delicate and beautiful formations were able to grow in a completely sealed environment."
In addition to getting a look at those meticulously lit stalactites, tourgoers will encounter an underground canyon, enter a 5,700-square-foot dome chamber called the Ballroom that can actually be rented out for special events, and watch a sound-and-light show finale (pictured at the top of this post) from a viewing area overlooking an enormous passage that serves as a natural canvas for the colorful lights.
(Ballroom on the Hidden Wonders tour at Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio | Credit: Natural Bridge Caverns)
Exiting the tunnel involves standing on a 700-foot-long conveyor belt—a first for an attraction of this sort, per the news release. Natural Bridge Caverns asserts that the construction on this and other aspects of the expansion project were carried out with minimal impact on the cave to ensure its preservation.
(Conveyor belt on Hidden Wonders Tour at Natural Bridge Caverns near San Antonio | Credit: Natural Bridge Caverns)
Launching May 12 at Natural Bridge Caverns (located about 30 miles north of San Antonio), the Hidden Wonders Tour is already available for booking. Tickets start at $26 for visitors ages 12 and older, $17 for kids ages 3 through 11.
Combo tickets are available for those who want to see the original cavern area too. Buy tickets in advance online to avoid price increases for same-day admission.
For more great ideas for drives near San Antonio, see our recent feature on Texas Hill Country road trips.
