Longhorn Cavern State Park
Longhorn Cavern State Park
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Located less than 90 minutes from Austin, Texas, Longhorn Cavern State Park is a unique Hill Country destination full of natural beauty and Texas-sized tales. Developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the park’s star attraction is Longhorn Cavern, an underground wonder created by the dissolving and cutting action of an ancient river. Enjoy a guided cave tour, hike a Hill Country trail, and admire some of Texas' best examples of historic CCC architecture. It's all part of the story of Longhorn Cavern State Park.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • Karen H
    Grapevine, Texas7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a worthwhile tour!
    The caverns are amazing! We saw bats and loved walking through a “geode!” The rock formations are incredible. Our tour guide, Megan, was interesting, accommodating, and personable. She kept our attention and was never boring. Highly recommend this tour and getting souvenirs at the visitors center!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 5, 2023
  • Michael
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    a fine day out.
    Visited Longhorn Cavern State Park yesterday, 23 October 2023, and was lucky enough to have Jim as the tour guide around the caves. Jim was both entertaining and informative, mixing humour and melodrama with some serious geology, leaving us all involved, engaged and excited by the work of nature and the work of the 1930s workers who made the caves safe to visit. Our co-visitors were good company, especially the children who asked some cool questions, won bat stickers by successfully cornering a bear, respected the bats and alerted Jim to a snake who hadn't paid for the tour (the snake was arrested and escorted by staff from the cave and released above ground.) All in all a fine day out. Would recommend.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 24, 2023
  • Caro
    Antioch, California2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Must See
    We took our 3 children visiting from out of state (our 3rd time) We absolutely loved it! Our tour guide, Jim did a great job showing us everything with a great sense of humor including straightening out 2 kids whose parents didn't. He pointed out new stuff I hadn't seen. Love the cavern, easy to do, you must go. Great job Jim. Thank you!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 5, 2023
  • bjude
    42 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Beautiful Cavern
    Longhorn Cavern is a beautiful cave. We have visited it several times over the past few years, and I have enjoyed it each time! There is also nice, easy hiking at the park to enjoy either before or after the cave tour. And don't miss the observation tower with a panoramic view of the surrounding hill country!
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 13, 2023
  • gillespyc
    Argyle, Texas40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice small and clean cavern
    The cavern tour was a joy to go to mostly due to our tour guide Jim. It is smaller than Inner Space Cavern but very interesting and something to experience at least once. I highly recommend if you are in the Austin area and have a couple of hours, this is worth the trip.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 10, 2023
  • Autumn-Cody N
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Spontaneous Family Day Trip That Did Not Disappoint!
    We decided to take a spontaneous family day trip here and it exceeded our expectations! Our guide (Jim) was great. He was informative, friendly, and very funny! The walk through took approach 1 hour 30 mins and we loved every minute of it. Highly recommended!
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 31, 2023
  • Jessica S
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Awesome Longhorn Cavern Walking Tour!
    I recommend taking the guided walking tour with Francis! Her quick wit and in-depth knowledge of the caverns made the experience even better! The cavern's views did not disappoint. A side note - Heading to the caverns on a cold, rainy January day will not dampen your adventure (literally) nor your spirits. I purchased my tickets online beforehand, which made it easy to grab my ticket 5 minutes before the tour.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written January 7, 2024
  • 107nan2010
    New Braunfels, Texas142 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Glad We Went!
    We were staying in Fredericksburg and had traveled to Enchanted Rock, only to find it closed for a private hunt. We then decided to continue our travels to Llano and on to Longhorn Cavern State Park. We were glad we went! Debbie was our tour guide and we really enjoyed the tour. She was very knowledgeable about the cave and its history. After the tour we had a picnic out back from the visitor's center.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 5, 2024
  • Rob M
    San Antonio, Texas79 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A true gem
    Longhorn Cavern State Park is truly one of the gems in Texas' State Park system. You have to pay for a guided tour and it's well worth it. The cavern is spectacular and the history is very interesting. We had a great guide, Nikki. Highly recommended.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written February 27, 2024
  • Trina B
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic tour, worth the money and time
    The cavern tour was fantastic! Our guide, Jim, was knowledgeable with a perfect amount of humor mixed in. We learned so much. We enjoyed seeing the “chicken nugget” bats and even got to see some flying. I won’t spoil the surprises of the tour, but there were several fascinating things we saw. We highly recommend this tour. It was well worth it!
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written March 14, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles945 reviews
Excellent
741
Very good
168
Average
20
Poor
10
Terrible
6

Mandy
Denton, TX1 contribution
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021
The website should include more information about the reality of the wild cave tour. There are only two vertical challenges while the rest of the cave requires stooping, crawling on hands and knees, and approximately 20-25 feet of ARMY CRAWLING. I emailed the park requesting info on gear necessary or provided and was given a form letter response to check the website (where there is no mention, of course). The headlamps were dim, but there were a bunch of us so we had enough light. The provided knee pads were cheap and ineffective and had to be modified to fit 6/12 tour members. No elbow pads provided.

There is nothing to see on this tour. The main features of the Longhorn Caverns are stunning and available on the walking tour. The tour guide on this particular day seemed irritated by children, complained that she was dehydrated and hungry, lacked engaging communication skills, and commented about the size of the tour members on more than one occasion, despite everyone being within the recommended measurements. Overall, this was a physically and mentally demanding challenge with no payoff.

$100 to see some bats, get a t-shirt, and listed to a hum-drum tour guide talk about caves formed by dynamite. Regrets.
Written March 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for visiting Longhorn Cavern State Park. We’re sorry the wild cave tour did not meet your expectations. Would you please contact us at https://visitlonghorncavern.com/contact-form/ and let us know what day you visited and the name of your guide. We would appreciate the opportunity to look into this further.
Written March 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
We had an amazing visit at the park. This was my second trip since 2018. The caverns are amazing and you will likely see a few bats hanging around. Don't worry, they are in hibernation and likely will not be aware of your presence so long as you don't use a flash when you snap their picture.

The portion of the cave that is open to the public is about 3/4 of a mile in length. The round trip takes about 90 minutes. Enjoy!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for giving us a perfect rating and for recommending Longhorn Cavern State Park to other travelers! Your opinion is very important to us!
Written January 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

moodblu
West Valley City, UT1,436 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
On a recent trip to the Austin Texas area, our daughter took us to the Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet TX. We took a nature walk around the grounds while awaiting our Walking Cave Tour start time, which was interesting and relaxing. The cave was explored and developed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during the depression in the 30’s. The cave was very different than any cave I’d been in before, being carved in limestone by an underground river. Our tour was about an hour and a half long, (all walking and/or standing) and was conducted by a fun tour guide named Cheryle. She was knowledgeable and had a passion for the cave. She had a sense of humor, and gave a lot of attention to the children in the group, keeping their experience interesting and engaged. The cave is made mostly of a light colored limestone, and has some very interesting rock formations. It doesn’t have stalagmites and stalactites as in other caves I’ve toured. There were a few places where we had to duck down because of low ceiling clearances but nowhere did we have to crawl or scoot thru. I am somewhat claustrophobic, but was not bothered at all by this cave. The temperature in the cave was cool but comfortable, perfect for exploring. The surface to walk on was stable dirt and stone, with no hazardous places to climb or descend. The children and older people in the group had no trouble getting around. Visit the restroom before you go, and take a water bottle (only plain water is allowed inside the cave), as there are no restrooms or water inside the cave. Wear sturdy shoes, and you might want a light jacket. We had a great time on our tour. Afterward, we went around the grounds to see the historic buildings and the observation tower, which gave a panoramic overlook of the surroundings.
Written June 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking your time to write about your experience. We were happy to hear you loved the tour and that our staff made your time in the park enjoyable. Please come visit us again soon!
Written June 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Christine R
Orlando, FL34 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2021 • Family
This was the 4th cave we visited on the Texas Cave Trail. This cave has the biggest group size, about 30 in our group on a Thursday. They mentioned it was due to Spring breakers. The cave is impressive though we liked the Cave Without A Name better because it had many more Speleothems (cave formations). Each cave on the trail is different and has their own unique features. This one has almost no cave formations and is very smooth inside with many coves and tunnels. We were told it lacked formation due to the lack of conservation when it was discovered and difference in humidity. The other caves on the trail have higher humidity with the Cavern of Sonora being the most humid. It looked like underwater coral inside. I recommend visiting all the caves as each one is very beautiful and unique.
Written March 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for giving us a perfect rating and for recommending Longhorn Cavern State Park to other travelers! Your opinion is very important to us!
Written March 20, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Randy B
Horseshoe Bay, TX221 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020
This is one of the best caves in central Texas. The tours run numerous times a day and there is plenty to do while you wait. I recommend packing a lunch and possibly walking the nature trails while you wait. Some of its splendor can be viewed without taking the tour while you wait.
Written June 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So glad you enjoyed our beautiful park. Come back and visit soon!
Written June 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

rhia474
Irving, TX24 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
This was our second time at the cavern, but the first time with our daughter, visiting the first time before she was born. The drive is lovely on Rt 4 with lots of ups and downs and WHEEs and gorgeous scenery. The park building is a neo-historical cottage built when the cavern was opened in the 1930s.

Tours leave every hour on the hour starting at 10 am, and last about 1.5 hours. Our guide was Anna, and she was funny and super informational at the same time. The cave is beautiful, at times you really work some muscles as you can't walk upright for a bit, but at no point it is hard or unsafe for anyone who is in a reasonable physical condition. We also counted about 17 tiny tricolored bats (they aren't really tricolored unless you see them under a microscope, they just look black). They roost alone, anre really small and utterly adorable.

Photography is allowed, (bats no-flash only), but no food or drink except plain water. There is a small snack bar and a well-stocked gift shop inside the main building, and by a short walk there is an observation tower that provides a great view of the surrounding vista.

Definitely recommending for anyone, except perhaps really small children as strollers and such are not allowed.
Written October 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for giving us a perfect rating and for recommending Longhorn Cavern State Park to other travelers! Your opinion is very important to us!
Written October 26, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cleanandgreen4ever
Medford, WI17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
I have been visiting Longhorn Cavern State Park for over 50 years. We live in Wisconsin and have family in TX. We visit every time we come down. This year we went in April 2021 and I was able to bring my 4 yr old grandson. He loved it.
It is interesting and beautiful each time. The grounds are very well kept. The staff is kind, courteous and knowledgeable. Our tour guide this time was Marissa. She did a great job of keeping a few little kids interested and excited while sharing adult level information with the rest of the group.
It is necessary to allow about 2 hours if you will just tour the cavern. There are tails and outbuildings to see though too. If you have more time it worth your while to visit those as well.
Written April 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking your time to write about your experience. We were happy to hear you loved the tour and that our staff made your time in the park enjoyable. Please come visit us again soon!
Written May 9, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jean S
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
This is the best cave tour I have been on! Our guide, Avery, was so animated, funny, personable, and knowledgeable. She was also patient! The cave was well developed, but not touristy. The walk was easy and safe. The crystals, stalactites/stalagmites, floes, etc. were super nice. Everything was compact, so there was not a lot of walking through uninteresting spots between interesting ones. I was a bit apprehensive about spending so much for a group of us to go (we were paying for all), but it was DEFINITELY worth every penny of the admission price! Once out of the tour, we spent a long time in the gift shop and found items that we will treasure for a long time. We wished we had more time so we could explore the trails. We loved our time at Longhorn Cavern and, if in the area again, will definitely visit again.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your great feedback! We are looking forward to your next visit to Longhorn Cavern State Park.
Written March 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Yenia
Bent, NM149 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
1. You don't want to walk for 90 minutes through a cave that is this much fun, and miss the fun because your feet are not happy. Bring appropiate shoes.

2. You don't want to be distracted and not listen to the loads of interesting and amazing information your tour guide shares. There are so many amazing bits, you are going to want to hear it all.

3. You don't want to be too cold/or hot. Beware that although the temperature inside is constant (approx. 68*), you will be consistently walking.

4. Don't touch those "chicken nuggets" sticking out from the crevices everywhere. They are alive!

5. Do not miss your restroom break BEFORE the tour. You will regret it...
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and feedback with us!
Written January 12, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Donna C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
We really enjoyed our tour of Longhorn Cavern State Park. Our guide Sundance was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. We were celebrating a 70 birthday and it was quite fun. No problems with slopes or stairs. There are rubber mats on the ground to help with slipping. There are uneven pathways but hey it is a cave! Everyone wore masks and they limit the size of the tour. We were happy we went. If we were a bit younger and more physically fit we would definitely try the wild cave tour!
Written July 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking your time to write about your experience. We were happy to hear you loved the tour and that our staff made your time in the park enjoyable. Please come visit us again soon!
Written August 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Longhorn Cavern State Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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