We recently told you about all the aboveground attractions at Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio, but today, we’re heading below the surface to discover a hidden gem deep within the complex cave system. The caverns are home to an underground creek, as well as several other gorgeous bodies of water, all of which harbor ancient secrets about the formation of the Texas Hill Country. You can see these below-the-surface oases with your own two eyes – even on the most basic tour the caverns have to offer!
One of the highest rated attractions in Texas, Natural Bridge Caverns began forming millions of years ago after extensive series of faults, known as the Balcones Fault Zone, was created.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns Water seeped into cracks in the rocky, Hill Country landscape, eventually leading to the formation of an underground river. This river eroded the limestone, culminating in an epic collapse from which the caverns were born.
The caverns have mostly dried up over time, but some water still remains.
Natural Bridge Caverns Emerald Lake is among the largest reservoirs you’ll see, boasting a near constant drip of water that supplies the surrounding flowstone.
Emerald Lake is so named because the refraction of light through the pool gives it a striking green hue.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns The water looks more blue here, but we promise it’s actually green!
Purgatory Creek is another body of water in the cave, and recently installed LED lights illuminate it in the most beautiful way.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns Pro tip: visit after a rainstorm to see the creek at its fullest!
All of the cavern tours - even the most basic Discovery Tour - offer visitors the chance to see Emerald Lake, Purgatory Creek, and several other belowground oases.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns Prices for the Discovery Tour vary from day to day, but typically hover somewhere between $20 and $30 for adults, and $15 to $20 for children.
So if you’re looking for a relatively budget-friendly attraction that takes you to hidden gem after hidden gem, look no further than Texas’ largest show cave.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns Natural Bridge Caverns might not be a little-known place in and of itself, but the myriad underground bodies of water certainly are.
Address: 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, San Antonio, TX 78266.
Google Maps Hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
Visit the Natural Bridge Caverns website or Facebook page to learn more and/or to purchase tickets.
Facebook/Natural Bridge Caverns
Water seeped into cracks in the rocky, Hill Country landscape, eventually leading to the formation of an underground river. This river eroded the limestone, culminating in an epic collapse from which the caverns were born.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Emerald Lake is among the largest reservoirs you’ll see, boasting a near constant drip of water that supplies the surrounding flowstone.
The water looks more blue here, but we promise it’s actually green!
Pro tip: visit after a rainstorm to see the creek at its fullest!
Prices for the Discovery Tour vary from day to day, but typically hover somewhere between $20 and $30 for adults, and $15 to $20 for children.
Natural Bridge Caverns might not be a little-known place in and of itself, but the myriad underground bodies of water certainly are.
Google Maps
Hours are 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
Have you ever seen the underground creek at Natural Bridge Caverns? What about Emerald Lake? If so, tell us all about your experience in the comments section below, and don’t forget to check out our previous article for more Texas caves worth exploring.
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Address: Natural Bridge Caverns, 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd, San Antonio, TX 78266, USA
