Tour Longhorn Caverns
Longhorn Cavern State Park is one of the National Cave of Texas. Longhorn Cavern State Park, south of Burnet in Burnet County, is 645.62 acres labeled as a scenic park in the Texas Hill Country. Longhorn Cavern was purchased in 1932 – 1937 from private owners. It was then dedicated to a state park in 1932, opened to the public in 1938, and was made a natural landmark in 1971.
The cave was formed when the ground levels of water started to drop. As this downwards movement happened, the rain started to dissolve the limestone. This downward drainage remained until high underground stream beds were cut out of the solid rock. This unusual combination of dissolving and cutting-by water makes Longhorn Cavern one of the unique caves of the world.
The park is open daily from dawn to dusk but is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The busy season is from March to August.
Longhorn Cavern is Hosting a Bi-Weekly “Concert in the Cave.”
Longhorn Caverns Tour
The prime attraction to this State Park is its cavern, where visitors have the opportunities to learn about the local geology. The cave has been used as a shelter since prehistoric times. Among legends about the cave is one that the outlaw Sam Bass hid a $2 million cache of stolen money inside. Confederates made gunpowder in the cave during the Civil War. Legend also says Texas Rangers rescued a kidnapped girl from Indians in the cave.
Wild Cave Tour
A popular attraction to the park is the Wild Cave Tour. This is a fun way to explore the Longhorn Cavern the wild way. Visitors will crawl, climb, and squeeze through small passages. During this 2-3 hour tour, you will view formations that were only seen by professional spelunkers up until just a few years ago. Staff specialists will guide you into parts of the cave not shown on regular tours.
Small passageways and getting very dirty are a part of this tour and is not recommended for every guest. Specialized equipment such as hard hats, elbow and knee pads, and flashlights are required; bring your own or rent from the park. Tours are generally held on Saturdays by reservation only. Children under 16 are not allowed on regular Wild Cave Tours; please ask the park for modified Wild tours for kids under 16.
Facilities at the park include a gift shop, a full-service deli and snack counter, a picnic area, and 2 miles of hiking trails. The park is open for day-use only and is operated by concessionaire, Longhorn Cavern, Inc. An exhibit of Civilian Conservation Corps work done in the Texas State Parks System is on display in the original administration building, no fee is charged.
Nearby parks include Inks Lake and Pedernales Falls State Parks, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, and the Lyndon B. Johnson State Historical Park and Ranch.
Recreation
The park features historical and nature study. Located in the heart of the Highland Lakes, Longhorn Cavern is near four different lakes and communities that offer excellent camping, fishing, and hunting opportunities.
Guided tours
The park offers guided tours that last approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes (a one 1/4-mile round trip). For your safety and comfort, low-heeled shoes with rubber soles are recommended. Tours are conveniently scheduled throughout the day. Call (877) 441-CAVE (441-2283) for current tour times.
Kids program
A geology program has been developed by a qualified geologist for persons of at least 8th grade age. This 4-hour program includes a brief explanation of the complex geology of the Texas Hill Country and its relation to Longhorn Cavern. A cavern tour and a field trip are included. The cost is $15.00 per person for groups of 15-25.
Climate
Longhorn Cavern State Park is located at elevations ranging from 779 to 1585 feet. Temperatures within the park range from an average January minimum of 33 degrees and a July average maximum of 98 degrees. The park has an average annual rainfall of 30.4 inches. Current weather conditions can vary from day today. For more details, call the park or Park Information at 1-800-792-1112.
Location
Longhorn Cavern State Park is located approximately 6 miles west and 6 miles south of Burnet, Texas, on Park Road 4, off US Highway 281.
Current Conditions & Trip Reports
The cave tour was awe-inspiring. It was about $12.99 per adult, and there was a $1 discount per military member. The caves did not have many stalactites or stalagmites compared to other caverns I have been to, but they did have a “room” in the cave that had crystals embedded into the cave wall. It was wonderful. It was a pretty large cave and a decent walk. About 3/4 mile into the cave and another 3/4 mile back out of the cave. I wouldn’t recommend this state park if you are only going for hiking. The trails were very short and pretty uninteresting. We finished all of the trails in the entire park in about 40 minutes, so don’t go for the hiking trails alone. But the caverns were neat and worth the drive.
This is an excellent place to visit every few years. Nice facilities. Good price. The caverns were a little disappointing because much of the caverns are no longer living rock, but the history of the place is fascinating. For live caverns, I would recommend the Cafe with No Name in Boerne, TX.
This cave is very curvy. You can see some bats in the cave (ask your guide to point them out). It looks like you’re in a castle in the first part before you go into the cave! There is a lot of neat old castle buildings made out of rocks. There are crystal rooms with these square crystals all on the walls. Some of the people who come to the cave don’t know this, but you can go to the top of the Castle (the CCC Building) there is a stairway in the back! Also, you should bring a laser pointer to shine into the crystals in the crystal room of the cave!
My husband and I took our three children to LongHorn Caverns in July of 2001. We are new to the area, so this was a treat to find that it was so close. The Caverns are very well taken care of, and our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the formation, surrounding area, and history behind the caverns. The Caverns themselves are SO BEAUTIFUL! We’ve been through a lot of different caves, and this was the first that we’ve seen that was formed this particular way. We loved it and would highly recommend it…in fact, we plan on taking our visiting family there this winter!
Longhorn Cavern State Park, P.O. Box 732 , Burnet, TX, 78611, Phone: 877-441-CAVE