When most people think of Texas, they think of cattle, football, and cowboy hats. Most travelers are unaware that Texas is home to one of the world’s greatest geological wonders. The Caverns of Sonora—which is located approximately 15 miles outside of the town of Sonora—is a spectacular cave system that is home to some of the most distinctive mineral formations ever discovered.
Photo by Flickr
The Caverns of Sonora features cave popcorn, cave bacon, and cave fishtails. Millions of years of dripping water steadily shaping limestone has created a show cave full of fanciful mineral deposits that look like food, animals, and the glittering columns of a dwarves’ palace. One of the Caverns of Sonora’s most celebrated formations is a delicate stone butterfly that has unfortunately sustained a chipped wing in recent decades.
Photo by Flickr
Local ranchers have been aware of the Caverns of Sonora since the early 1900s. However, The Caverns of Sonora didn’t become a popular tourist destination until the 1950s, when caver Jack Burch created several trails that showcased the cave’s magnificent formations. The Caverns of Sonora currently offers multiple tour packages including a photography tour which focuses on cave photography, a discovery tour which lasts 4 hours and includes rappelling 50 feet into the Devil’s Pit, and group tours where visitors can pay a small additional fee to pan for gemstones.
The Caverns of Sonora is located on I-10 and is equidistant from San Antonio and Big Bend National Park, so it is an excellent place to stop if you’re road tripping through Texas. Visitors can also hike the trails of nearby Texas Eaton Hill Nature Center, view ranch artifacts and memorabilia at the Old Sonora Ice House Ranch Museum, and play a round of golf at the Sonora Golf Course. You will certainly enjoy exploring the Caverns of Sonora and the breathtaking hill country and desert that surrounds it.
Address:
1711 Private Road
Sonora, Texas
United States