New Braunfels: Natural Bridge Caverns

Three people standing in a park-like area next to a stone wall with a staircase leading down

Wuest Family at the entrance to Natural Bridge Caverns. (Wuest Family)

Man on horseback

Louis Forshage on his ranch where the caverns were discovered. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Group of men with rifles and five deer suspended from a tree after a hunt

Hunting camp of the Forshage ranch where the caverns were discovered, ca. 1920s. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Young man wearing a hardhat with light looking at stalactites and stalagmites in a cave

Exploring the caverns in the 1960s. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Four men standing at the entrance to a cave

Beginning development of the cave into a public attraction. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Two people in a park-like area with a rock formation forming an overhead bridge. Also seen are a small cement mixer and a rock wall under construction

Cave development. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Woman sitting under rock formation forming an overhead bridge

CClara Wuest Heidemann at the entrance to the caverns, 1960s. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Three people standing with a plaque stating Natural Bridge Caverns is a registered national landmark in 1971

Dedication of Natural Bridge Caverns as a Registered National Landmark, 1971. (Natural Bridge Caverns, Inc.)

Inside a cavern showing stalagmites

Inside the caverns (Alex Garrido CC BY-SA 3.0)

Inside a cavern showing stalagmites and stalactities

Pluto’s Anteroom (James Summer CC BY-SA 3.0)

Inside a cavern showing stalagmites and stalactities

Inside the caverns (Rei CC BY-SA 3.0)

A ranch is a ranch – until it isn’t. Louis and Lina Forshage settled along Cibolo Creek in Comal County in 1883, and the land has remained a family property ever since. Its springs made it a frequent camping spot for travelers in the area, and was ideal as a location for a deer hunting camp. Charles Wuest, a descendant of one of New Braunfels’ original German settlers, joined the family when he married the Forshage’s daughter Emilie.

Years later, for Clara Wuest and her family, raising cattle, goats, chickens, and food crops on the ranch was the norm until 1960, when four spelunkers from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio exploring caves on the property stumbled upon what would become the largest show cave in Texas.

While the Wuest family found themselves in an entirely new business venture, archeological evidence reveals that people likely used the caverns as a shelter as early as 5,000 B.C. The caverns were developed as a public destination, and are considered living rock formations and they continue to change with the influx of water. Some portions of the caverns are still under exploration.

Natural Bridge Caverns has been open to the public since 1964. It was designated a U.S. National Natural Landmark in 1971, and in 2004 was added to the National Register of Historic Places. 

Natural Bridge Caverns

  • Hours and admission: Varies by date and tour. See website for information.
  • 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road, Natural Bridge Caverns, TX
  • 210-651-6144
  • Visit Website
  • National Register of Historic Places
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