What to Expect at the Longhorn Cavern State Park Wild Cave Tour
We emerged from the cave into the hot Texas weather muddy, wet, and filled with confidence. My friend Zamira and I learned about the wild cave tour at Longhorn Cavern State Park after completing the walking tour a couple of months ago. We planned it all out and left for the park early in the morning for the 10am tour.
I recorded a lot of the experience on my GoPro that was mounted on my chest. The lighting wasn't the best, but you can get the gist of what to expect below!
What to Expect at the Wild Cave Tour?
An unforgettable adventure with a small group, an expert guide, and a ton of rocks. How much better can it get?
Although 3 hours may seem long, it feels like it goes by so quickly! Based on what our guide told us, the conditions of the cave can vary. You can see we were crawling through the mud in the video after climbing down the 12-foot drop. A couple of weeks ago, that section was filled with water. He mentioned they crawled through the water with it touching them just below the neck!
Something great is you have someone with over 10 years of experience guiding you through what to do, where to step, and how to navigate the spaces. So you don't ever feel lost and unsure of what to do next.
You'll also be given some of the cave's history mentioned on the regular walking tour, which is a plus.
What Do I Need to Prepare?
You'll be given knee pads, a helmet, a headlamp, and gloves. The park provides a list of essentials you should come prepared with beforehand:
Long-sleeved shirt
Long pants
Closed-toed shoes with good traction
My tip: Wear shoes that you don't mind getting dirty and covered in mud
Towel for cleaning up
Change of clothes & shoes
Additional things I would add:
GoPro mount or waterproof casing for your phone
Hair tie if you have long hair
Do not ignore the list. I repeat, do not ignore the list. The long pants and long sleeve shirt will protect your skin from getting cut by the rocks. And it's cold in the cave so don't worry about looking silly in the summer. You'll want the extra change of clothes and towel to clean up afterward in their outdoor changing rooms. I had so much mud on my leggings, boots, and shirt. It was nice to change into a fresh outfit!
Also, if you don't have a way to mount your camera to your body, but you want to bring your phone, I recommend placing it in a waterproof pouch. This will protect it from getting damaged if it falls in the mud or water.
As someone who has never crawled through a cave before, aka spelunking, this was the perfect introduction to the hobby! If you are looking to get down and dirty in a cave, this is the spot to try it out.
