Cave Tours
It's Alive with wildlife
Over 100 million years ago, the Caverns were an ocean bed: time and receded water left behind a trove of shells that are visible today. Many of the cave’s spectacular features grew over millions of years as water mixed with Calcite to form a wonderland of dripstone and flowstone formations known as stalactites, stalagmites and draperies. The Cavern’s formations are 95% active due to the continued flow of water. Some of the more notable formations in the cave are: 1) Diamond Ceiling; 2) Hanging Tobacco; 3) Giant Molar; 4) Peep in the Deep; 5) Solution Domes; 6) The Skull; 7) Travertine Dam; and 8) Twin Sisters.
The Cathedral Room
Upper Cave
Downunder Tours
This is our daily tour. It starts every hour at the top of the hour from 10 AM to 4 PM. The DownUnder Tour is comprised of the Five Rooms which include the 1,100 feet of the Caverns’ upper level. The First Room is the coldest room in the cave . The Lake Room is the primary home of the Cascade Caverns® Salamander. The Imagination Room contains the Soda Straw Rainforest, Diamond Ceiling and Hanging Tobacco. Storm Canyon is the most dramatic room in the cave and it leads to the spectacular Cathedral Room with its 50+ foot ceiling and otherworldly solution domes which were formed by aquatic vortices over millions of years. The domes are so symmetrical that they almost look man-made.
Daily Tours
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Possibility of getting mud or water on your shoes
- Bring a camera
- Fully guided
- 132 feet deep
- Average 62 degrees
- 45-60 minute tour
- Group rates available for 14 or more. See below.
Tickets Ages 12 and older: $19.95
Children ages 4-11: $14.95
Children under 3 are free
Lower Cave
Aquifer Tour
This tour can be booked throughout the year. It involves a 3 – 4 hour spelunking tour of our lower cave system. We provide cavers helmets, flashlights, and gloves.
We prefer this tour to be booked two weeks in advance and it must be prepaid for groups of min 10 to max 15. We prefer to book these tours on Saturdays.
All participants must be physically fit, non-claustrophobic and able to swim.
Call to schedule your group – (830) 755-8080 . Unfortunately, we can not book this tour for individuals or groups smaller than 10.
Tour Information
- 10-person minimum group size
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Highly likely to get mud and water on your clothes
- Bring a camera
- Fully -guided
- 230 feet deep
- Average 62 degrees
- Approx. 2-3-Hour Tour
- Participants must sign a waiver
Tickets Ages 16 and older: $100 each
Ages 15 and under not permitted
Night Tours
Flashlight Tour
Cascade Caverns® also offers an extended nighttime tour (1.5 hours) using only flashlights and candles in the Cave. Come out to join us for this unusual, and not-so-scary nighttime tour. What is most interesting is that our salamanders seem to know when the sun goes down even though they are 10 stories down beneath the surface, far from sunlight’s reach. Is it magnetism, dead reckoning, or something magical? Come see these beautiful ghostly creatures. They’re so cute, and unlike blind salamanders – our species has eyes. Their stylish red external gills and slow-moving prance make them the hit of the tour.
These tours are available to groups only 10-person minimum.
You must call ahead to plan and reserve this tour. Typically this tour starts after sunset.
Call (830) 755-8080 for more details.
Group Night Tours
- 10-person minimum group size
- Wear comfortable walking shoes
- Possibility of getting mud or water on your clothes
- Flashlights are provided for your use
- Bring a camera
- Fully guided
- Approx 1.5 hour long tour
Tickets Ages 12 and older: $24.95
Children ages 4-11: $19.95
Wonder and beauty
Groups & parties
For Groups 14+
We have the ideal setup for parties, reunions, rallies, musical events, or corporate retreats. Give us a call for rates & reservations. (830) 755-8080
Are you looking for an exciting field trip for your school, kids’ camp, or boy scout troop? Consider scheduling a group Downunder tour at a special group rate.
The cost for groups of 14 or more people is $14.95 for adults and 9.95 for children ages 4-11. Kids 3 and under are free!
Safety guidelines
Tour Guidelines
The passages are smooth gravel and relatively dry. There are areas that require squatting or leaning over while walking because of low head clearance as well as several steps leading to and from the cave opening. Although the tour is not particularly strenuous in nature we do allow for breaks as necessary during the course of the tour.
Cascade Cavern® is a “live” cave; water is constantly moving through the rock and creating formations. The oil from our hands will close the pores in the rock. The formation will stop growing if the water can no longer come through the rock; “killing” the formation. For this reason, please do not touch the formations or put your hand into the waters.
CAVE Rules
- Do not touch cave formations, walls, or wildlife
- Please wear clothing and footwear appropriate for a cave (tennis or hiking shoes): humid, cool temperatures. Water droplets are likely to fall on you as this cave is still a living cave.
- Please no smoking, eating, or drinking in the cave. Bottled water is allowed and please bring the bottle back up with you.
- Please stay behind the guide at all times and stay close together.
- No jumping, pushing, running, or shoving
- There are no pets allowed in the cave as they may cause disturbance or transfer diseases to other animals in this delicate environment.
- No strollers are permitted in the cave as the cave is only accessible via a long descending stairway.
- No single-person tours.
NOTE: Cascade Caverns® does not assume responsibility for accidents that are caused by customers not listening to tour guide advisements, caveats, and warnings.
