Physical Geology
T, Thr. 6:30-9:20pm
Dec. 8, 2014
Caverns of Sonora
The Caverns of Sonora are located 8 miles west of Sonora, Texas near Interstate Highway 10. Originally known as "Mayfield's Cave" because it was located on Mayfield Ranch, local cowboys knew of this cave for many years. The cave was professionally explored in the 1950's and developed using revolutionary techniques for showing and maintaining a cave in the most natural condition possible. Claimed by many to be one of the most beautiful caves in the world, visitors often compare sections of the Caverns of Sonora to being inside of a crystal-lined geode.
Inner Space Caverns
Inner Space Cavern, 20 miles north of Austin, was originally found by the Texas Highway Department in 1963. In order to determine that the ground could support the weight of a highway overpass, they drilled several test holes; repeatedly the drill bit broke through into open cavities. The first human to enter the cave was lowered on a drill bit through an enlarged test hole. Inner Space Cavern is a highly decorated cave with over 4 miles of passage. The man-made entrance is the only access into the cave passages; however, the remains of 5 sinkholes called bone sinks, rich in fossil remains, have been identified. The cave tour only covers about 1/8th of the existing passage in Inner Space Cavern.
Natural Bridge Caverns
Natural Bridge Caverns are located between San Antonio and New Braunfels, 8 miles west of 135. 4 cavers from St. Mary’s University discovered the main cavern in 1960. The area was known as a well-certified region, so the cavers went scouting for caves. After a crawl through a long, tight crawl, Orion Knox stumbled into the large network of passages that the tour route follows today. The two caves received their name from the natural rock bridge above the entrance to the north cavern. The tour route passes through a series of large highly decorated rooms and reaches a depth of 200 feet