Explore the Caves and Caverns of Texas Hill Country

Rolling hills, spring-fed rivers and streams, wildflower fields, and picturesque canyons. Take a look around Texas Hill Country and you'll witness all the beauty nature has to offer – at least above ground. Deep beneath the surface, however, you can explore natural geologic wonders that are equally as beautiful and fascinating. Stay with us at Hotel Giles and come discover Texas Hill Country's marvelous caves and caverns millions of years in the making.

Thanks to its karst topography, shaped by the dissolving of water-soluble rock such as granite and limestone, Texas Hill Country's geology provides a treasure of caves and caverns. Some of the most notable caves run along the Balcones Fault Line between Austin and San Antonio. Visiting these underground wonders allow you to learn about their history, ecology and impressive formations.

The closest viewable caves and caverns to our historic inn are located in nearby Boerne. At Cave Without a Name, guests descend 80 feet below the surface where the cave naturally maintains a year-round temperature of 66 degrees. A one-hour guided tour takes adventurous visitors through six cavernous rooms to see spectacular formations that have appeared over millions of years – stalactites, stalagmites, delicate soda straws, cave drapery, unique flowstones, and rimstone dams. All of this is visible thanks to brilliant lighting and accessed via easy walkways. Of these six rooms, the Queen's Throne Room is host to memorable events such as concerts, weddings, conferences and more.

Another underground marvel to see while you're in Boerne is Cascade Caverns, where you can tour corridor after corridor of impressive geological beauty 10 stories under the earth's surface. Within this living cavern, millions of glistening drops of pure water are continuously moving through the limestone and creating spectacular rock formations. Over the years, amazing things have been discovered in the cave, including the remains of a Mastodon and Sabertooth tiger, as well as Lipan Apache artifacts from the 1700s. For an unusual twist, take the nighttime tour, where you explore the caverns only by the light of flashlights and candles.

If your Texas Hill Country travels take you to San Antonio, then you'll want to explore the Natural Bridge Caverns, the largest commercial show cave in the Lone Star state. Your adventure begins 180 feet below the earth where a 60-foot natural limestone slab bridge spans the amphitheater setting of the caverns' entrance. As your tour its cave rooms, you'll witness ancient formations still in the making, including flowstones, chandeliers and soda straws. Coming up in the month of December, Natural Bridge Caverns offers Christmas at the Caverns, where the sights and sounds of the season collide with the other-worldly beauty of the caves to offer an unforgettable experience.