Thursday, December 18, 2014

Natural Bridge Caverns ~ Natural Bridge Caverns, Texas

disclosure~ My family and I received free tickets for the Discovery tour in order to write up my review! Thanks bunches to Natural Bridge Caverns and USFamilyGuide for the great adventure tour!! The pictures below were taken by me and my children during the tour.

On the way back from our #BeachHoliday we stopped at an Amazing place called The Natural Bridge Caverns. The Natural Bridge Caverns is a National Natural landmark located in the heart of Texas scenic hill country. It is a really beautiful area. We had lunch at the picnic tables while we waited for our tour to start. A trip to the Natural Bridge Caverns would make a great family vacation if you are in the San Antonio area!
We only took the Discovery tour while we were there.. 
It was an amazing tour!!


 Here are the kiddos heading down into the "sink hole"")
 Here is our tour guide Sam. She was explaining the rules and what we were about to see and the history of the caves. The piece at the top of the picture is how the Caverns got its name, it was a natural bridge that had collapsed. The number 1 rule was not to touch the walls or the structures.
 The plaques at the entrance of the caverns. 
They were explaining the owner of the land and the explorers that had discovered the caverns. 

The Story behind the Caverns
In March of 1960, Orion Knox Jr., Preston Knodell, Al Brandt and Joe Cantu, four college students from St. Mary's University in San Antonio, obtained permission to explore the area that is now Natural Bridge Caverns. The students were convinced that large underground passages existed under the amazing 60-foot limestone bridge. On their fourth expedition, Orion felt a cool draft from a rubble-filled crawlway. Such air currents often indicate the presence of additional rooms or passages.
The explorers made their way carefully climbing and crawling through two miles of vast cavern passage. After making this amazing discovery, they returned to the surface to tell the landowners. The discoverers knew immediately what an astonishing find they had made and the land owners decided to develop the first 1/2 mile, the most spectacular part of the caverns, for the enjoyment of guests from around the world. That first 1/2 mile is now the Discovery Tour. Natural Bridge Caverns Discovery Tour was developed with two main goals in mind: preservation of the caverns' environment and comfort of its guests. The result is one of the world premier show caverns, and one of the most popular attractions in Texas.
Here we go into the Caverns!
From the time we entered till we exited there were many breath taking things to see!
Our pictures just don't show the true beauty of the Caverns.













During the The Discovery Tour we saw many chambers filled with spectacular formations. The tour is a family friendly guided tour along paved, lighted walkways. The discovery tour leaves every 40 minutes and takes about 75 minutes. The Cavern has a temperature of 70 degrees with 99% humidity. Comfortable walking shoes are a must on the tour. It was wet and steep in some places. 

Natural Bridge Caverns is so much more than one of the most treasured natural attractions Texas has to offer. This beautiful and historical cavern system offers an experience that is high energy, educational, fun and family oriented. Whether you are a first timer, an avid caver or someone in between, Natural Bridge Caverns awaits with a once in a lifetime experience you'll never forget.

There are many things you can do at the Caverns. The Discovery tour is just one of many tours you can take. There is a Hidden Passages tour. In that tour you get to tour two huge underground chambers decorated with some of the most rare formations found in the caverns. The Hidden Passages tour is a 70 minute tour.

There is also an Adventure tour. You have to call in advance for this tour. In the adventure tour you will crawl, climb and rappel through challenging passages. Caving gear is provided for this tour.

My kids liked watching the Canopy Challenge! In this challenge you are given 30 minutes to grapple your way to the top of a 60 foot, four tier adventure course. This challenge will test your agility, balance and strength on a 47 fascinating obstacles. Then if you dare, you can take a ride on one of the zip lines, gliding high above. The thrill of the ride matches the beauty of the surroundings.There is also a course for the little ones.


The Discovery Mining Co is located at the Caverns. This is the largest mining sluice in Texas. It is a treasure trove of discovery. You can pan for gems, minerals and discover fossils from around the world. You can also enjoy an outstanding selection of rocks and minerals from all over the world at the Discovery Village trading post.

There is another section of the Caverns named Amazen Ranch roundup
There are over 5,000 square feet of twists and turns to navigate. For an added challenge, you get timed to see how quickly you can find the tower and bridge checkpoints. There is an observation deck or your friends and family to help, or to cheer you on. This is the most fun you will have getting lost.

The last building you have to check out when you visit when you stop by the Natural Bridge Caverns is Big Daddy's Sweets, Treats and Brew.

Big Daddy's is an old-fashioned general store and candy shop offering hand dipped ice cream, homemade fudge, specialty candy, beer and much more.

My Readers can Save $2 off an Adult and $1 off a Child's Discovery Tour ticket. Valid only on the Discovery Tour, cannot be combined with any other offer. Limit 6 per coupon.
For More information on Natural Bridge Caverns and to plan your visit please check out the WEBSITE and other social media channels FACEBOOK and TWITTER


6 comments:

Unknown said...

So cute...what a neat place. Thanks for posting!

Anonymous said...

I love visiting caverns

Unknown said...

We love visiting the caverns but most of the ones we have been to are on the East Coast. Looks like I will have to plan a trip to Texas to visit these. They looks awesome!

michie2003 said...

I like the place name.

Betsy Barnes said...

When I was growing up, my parents would stop at Natural Bridge every time we would visit family in PA from NC. It was a nice, half point. My sister and I always loved going here, highlight of the road trip!

Betsy Barnes said...

Just realized your post was about the one in Texas, the one I visited growing up is in Virginia.