Longhorn Cavern: A Day Trip to A Former Bar in A Limestone Cave
This realistic Longhorn Cavern State Park Guide helps you plan your next adventure in this cave park.
Longhorn Cavern is a Texas State Park in the Hill Country. It gives visitors a chance to see a limestone cave with beautiful formations and bats.
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Sights & Places of Interest
The name of this state park says it all. Nearly everyone who visits Longhorn Cavern comes to the park to see its limestone cave. Without a doubt, a cave tour is the main attraction in this park.
But you might need to kill a few minutes (or hours) waiting for your cave tour to start. In this case, you are in luck at Longhorn Cavern.
The park has a surprising number of sights above ground. They range from the hiking trails to the Civilian Conservation Corps structures.
This Longhorn Cavern State Park Guide will first describe the above-ground sights. It will then cover things to expect on a Longhorn Cavern Walking Tour.
1. Longhorn Cavern Nature Trails
The hiking trails are the easiest way to spend a few minutes in Longhorn Cavern. You could choose from 1.2 miles (1.9 km) of easy trails in the park. Most people need about 20 minutes to finish them all.
- Backbone Ridge Nature Trail: a 0.35-mi (0.56-km) out-and-back path.
- Warbler Walk: a 0.08-mi (0.13-km) loop trail.
- Karst Discovery Trail: a 0.6-mi (1-km) out-and-back path.
- Wildflower Way: a 0.1-mi (0.16-km) out-and-back trail.
- Comanche Spur: a 0.04-mi (0.06-km) connecting trail.
As you enjoy the hiking trails, pay attention to the wildlife around you. Here is a Texas State Parks’ bird checklist to keep you on track with your encounters.
2. Civil Conservation Corps Buildings
Birds and wildlife are not the only things to be on the lookout for. Longhorn Cavern is home to a few Civil Conservation Corps (CCC) structures. The CCC was a response to a high unemployment in the 1930s.
Members of the Corps built structures all over the United States to earn a living wage. You could still see and use them when you visit a few national and state parks in USA.
There is a CCC Administration Building, Cabin, and Observation Tower in Longhorn Cavern. You do not need to like architecture to enjoy the Hill Country views from the observation deck.
Get ready to pass through a CCC cave entrance on your way to the cave. This entrance has a smaller cave with trees and bushes that grow on its walls.
3. Walking Cave Tour
Make you sure you finish exploring the above-ground sights a few minutes before your tour’s start time. Check in at the Visitor Center and wait for your tour guide at the meeting spot.
You will soon start a Walking Cave Tour. As the name suggests, you be walking during most of this 90-minute tour. The total distance is 1.1 miles (1.8 km) round trip. The elevation gain is about 130 ft (40 m).
Wear closed-toe shoes and bring a jacket. You will be walking at 68°F (20°C) year round. Some parts of the walking trail might be wet if it rained recently.
3.1. Longhorn Formation
After a short safety briefing you will enter the cave. A longhorn shaped formation will be one of the first things to see in the cave. While it seems fitting, it did not give the park its name.
In fact, the cave had a different name before it became a state park in 1932. Since a longhorn is a state animal of Texas, it is easy to see why the cave got this name.
3.2. Crystals
The next few chambers are some of the most beautiful in the whole cave. It has to do with the crystals on their walls. They shine thanks to a thoughtful lighting throughout the cave.
These crystals could rival the displays in Jewel Cave in Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming. The crystals at both caves share a similar calcite origin.
3.3. Main Room
Other chambers of Longhorn Cavern might not be as visually stunning. But they have a lot of history and legends. Your tour guide will stop in these chambers to share a long and exciting history of the cave.
Longhorn Cavern dates back to prehistoric times. But its recorded history starts from the mid 19th century when the cave was rediscovered.
Longhorn Cavern was an underground bar, restaurant, and dance hall by early 20th century. Weddings and concerts took place in the cave chambers before the state bought it.
Artificial lighting brings the beauty of the limestone formations to the full display. The last few chambers of Longhorn Cavern have a wide passage.
Its limestone walls and ceiling appear very smooth from a distance. It is an illusion. If you look closer, you will notice that they are not as smooth in reality. There are lines and patterns everywhere on the walls.
Whenever the passage narrows, you will arrive at the furthest chamber of the tour. The shapes of walls and formations offer a lot of things to see for vivid minds.
3.4. Bats
You will take the same path through the cave back to its exit. The last part of the tour will go quicker since you will pass the chambers you have already visited.
But there are still things to see in Longhorn Cavern. You should pay a closer attention to the lower passages. If you are lucky, you might even see a sleeping bat from a close distance.
Continue with this Longhorn Cavern State Park Guide. You will learn more about ways to get to the sights, entrance requirements, and places to stay.
Getting to Longhorn Cavern
Longhorn Cavern is a park in Burnet County in Central Texas. This Hill Country park is equally close to the towns of Burnet and Marble Falls.
The park is a short detour away from Highways TX-29 and US-281. State Park Road 4 brings you through a picturesque part of the Texas Hill Country.
Longhorn Cavern is near most other sights in the region. You could visit Inks Lake, the closest park to the cave. Consider extending your trip by stopping by Balcones Canyonlands or Colorado Bend.
If you follow Highway TX-71, you will have even more places to choose from. Grelle Recreation Area, Muleshoe Bend, Pedernales Falls, and LBJ Ranch are all within an hour or less.
Austin is the closest large city to Longhorn Cavern. You could be touring the cave or hiking the trails some 65 minutes after leaving the city. This is a great distance for a day trip from the Capital of Texas.
Austin Airport is also the best hub for out-of-state visitors to Longhorn Cavern. It has a good number of direct flights from all over the country and abroad.
San Antonio is your other option. A drive to the park takes over 1 hour and 40 minutes. On the bright side, you could stop by Guadalupe River, Honey Creek, and Johnson Settlement on the way.
It goes without saying that you need a car to reach Longhorn Cavern. There is no public transport that brings you close to this park. Fill up your car or rent one to venture into the Texas Hill Country.
Where to Stay near Longhorn Cavern
Longhorn Cavern State Park is in a rural part of Texas. Therefore, you should not expect to find a lot of places to stay near the park. But there are still a few options if you do not mind a short drive.
Marble Falls is the closest town with places to stay. You should not overlook La Quinta by Wyndham Marble Falls and Hidden Falls Inn. Both hotels are less than 20 minutes southeast of the park.
Get comfortable in your car if Marble Falls does not work out. All other places to stay are at least 50 minutes away. This is true for Lampasas, Johnson City, Fredericksburg, Lakeway, and Leander.
Check out Best Western Plus Lampasas Inn & Suites and The Bentley Hotel on 290 in Johnson City. Both are good choices for continuing your exploration of the Texas Hill Country.
Stop by La Quinta by Wyndham Fredericksburg and Hampton Inn & Suites Fredericksburg out west. Or take a closer look at places to stay in Austin metro area.
Consider Holiday Inn Express & Suites Leander, an IHG Hotel and Hampton Inn & Suites Cedar Park North Austin, Tx. Both hotels are great places to stay in Leander and Cedar Park along Highway US-183.
La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Lakeway and Hampton Inn and Suites Austin – Lakeway are also worth considering. They are just north of Highway TX-71.
You could also decide to stay in Austin proper. In this case, you will have plenty of places to stay to choose from. Pick one that works with your budget and stop by McKinney Falls on the way.
Entrance Requirements & Passes
Longhorn Cavern is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. year round except for Christmas Day. You could visit the park until 6 p.m. most of summer. These longer hours also apply to weekends and holidays all year long.
You could enjoy the above-ground sights in this park for free. This fact makes Longhorn Cavern a good stop for a hike or a picnic in the area.
The cave is only open to guided tours. It is a good idea to book a spot in advance to skip the wait. A 90-minute tour costs $22.5 per adults and $12.5 per child. Prices can be higher on weekends and holidays.
Note that this park has different definitions of adults and children than other Texas State Parks. Longhorn Cavern draws the line at 12 years old. Anyone 12 and older is an adult. Kids are between 4 and 11.
This tour price is quite a bit higher than admission prices at many National Parks and Monuments. Carlsbad Caverns, Wind Cave, Jewel Cave, Oregon Caves, and Lava Beds all cost far less.
Yet, Longhorn Cavern is more affordable than other caves in Central Texas. Natural Bridge Caverns and Inner Space Cavern are on private land. They both cost even more than this state park.
A Texas State Parks Pass makes a visit to Longhorn Cavern slightly more affordable. As a pass holder, you would get a 10% discount on the tour price. Use the code TPWD10 when checking out online.
You could also book a wild cave tour at Longhorn Cavern. This tour takes 3 hours. It is quite demanding and has a few restrictions. You will also pay $100.25 per participant (8+ year old).
Takeaways: Longhorn Cavern State Park
Longhorn Cavern is a nice cave park in Central Texas. Limestone chambers and formations, crystals and rich history make it a worthy destination for amateur cave explorers.
Longhorn Cavern is the best cave in the region. You could visit it on a day trip from either Austin or San Antonio. But a decision to visit this park is different if you have been to other caves in the U.S.
Longhorn Cavern pales in comparison to other cave parks. It has to do with quite high tour fees. Lehman Caves, Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, and Carlsbad Caverns are much larger, yet cheaper to visit.
You might be better off saving a bit and visiting these and other caves on a longer trip. You could see Oregon Caves and Lava Beds on a trip through Northern California and Southern Oregon.
Or head to the Black Hills to see both Jewel and Wind Caves along with Devils Tower and Badlands. These trips might give you a better return on your travel budget.
Take a look at this Longhorn Cavern State Park Video Guide. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Longhorn Cavern State Park is in the Texas Hill Country.
– The park is about halfway between Burnet, Llano, and Marble Falls.
– You could reach the park by taking a short detour from either US-281 or TX-29 Highways.
– Longhorn Cavern is under 1.5 hours from Austin and under 2 hours from San Antonio.
You could explore above ground hiking trails and CCC buildings in Longhorn Cavern State Park for free. The cave is open to guided tours only. The cheapest tour is $22.5 per adult and $12.5 per child.
You could choose from a Walking Cave Tour and Wild Cave Tour in Longhorn Cavern State Park.
Walking Cave Tour:
– 90-minute tour that covers 1.1 miles round trip.
– Runs every day of the year but Christmas Day.
– $22.5+ per adult (12+) or $12.5 per child (4-11).
Wild Cave Tour:
– 3-hour challenging tour that involves crawling and climbing.
– Includes restrictions on physical condition and age.
– Only offered on weekends and holidays.
– $100.25 per participant (8+).
Longhorn Cavern is a cave park. But it offers you plenty of things to do both above and below the ground.
– Join a Walking Cave Tour.
– Crawl and climb on a Wild Cave Tour.
– Hike the Longhorn Cavern Nature Trails.
– Explore Civilian Conservation Corps structures.
– Go birding and wildlife watching.
– Enjoy the Hill Country views from the Observation Tower.
There are no coupons for cave tours of Longhorn Cavern. But you could get a 10% discount by using code TPWD10 if you have a Texas State Parks Pass. This is the only discount available.
Safe realist travels!
