Natural Bridge Caverns

Located just down the road in San Antonio is a little hidden wonder called Natural Bridge Caverns. If caverns and caves are your thing, then this is the one you want. Natural Bridge Caverns is located just 30 miles north of San Antonio, just a few miles west of IH-35. Take exit #175 to Natural Bridge Caverns Road/ FM 3009.

The cavern was discovered back in 1960 when a few college students were exploring the surrounding area. The cavern was actually formed by an underground river that moves slowly cutting through the limestone. Over time the limestone broke down and the cavern was formed. There are many passages through the cavern and it is a very beautiful and interesting place to visit.

The most popular tour is the "Discovery Tour." Visitors go about 180 feet below the ground in this awesome tour, which is about a half mile long. On the tour you will see many beautiful and wondrous things that formed millions of years ago and are still forming. You can take pictures, so be sure to take a camera.

Another popular tour at Natural Bridge Caverns is the "Illuminations Tour." On this tour, the staff uses lights to light up certain parts of the cavern. At one part of the tour, all lights are turned completely off and you are in total darkness, 180 feet under the earth.

One of the favorite spots on the tour is the mining company and rock shop. Here you get to pan for precious rocks and fossils, even arrowheads. The best part is you get to keep whatever it is you find! If you are not sure what kind of treasure you have found, the have charts available so you can see just what you found.

For the more adventurous spelunkers, you can take the "Adventure Tours," where you climb, rappel, hike and explore the cavern just like the explorers did when they found the cavern. All you have to rely on is the guides, ropes and gear. Plan for the tour to take about 3-4 hours, it is meant for the more serious cave goers.

When you are done plunging 160 feet into a dark cave, why not head to the Watch tower. It is a 50 foot tower that you can climb and use a zip line to get down. Plunging at 25 miles per hour back towards the earth, this is definitely a ride you will not forget.

Natural Bridge Caverns is a nice place for a one day trip. The cavern stays a cool 70 degrees year round, with relative humidity at 99%. Some of the other attractions hours depend upon Mother Nature, so you may want to call or visit their website before you head out.

There is something for the entire family to enjoy at Natural Bridge Caverns. If you really love the caverns, you can take a group there. The Natural Bridge caverns is interesting in that its a good place to have some fun and learn about the environment.

Jill works with inside real estate. They have sites that cover the San Antonio real estate and Dallas real estate markets. They also have a San Antonio real estate blog that covers trends and statistics.