The history of Longhorn Cavern State Park
My quest to visit more Texas state parks this year took me up to Longhorn Cavern, located off U.S. 281 near Marble Falls.
State of play: The cavern was formed by an underground river system, a rarity — making this one a unique cave to visit.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps made it broadly accessible by removing 3,000 dump trucks' worth of debris and constructing visitor buildings.
Flashback: Despite its exclusive sights, my tour guide told us the state park faced stiff competition from Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, some 450 miles northwest of Longhorn Cavern.
To up its appeal, officials in the 1930s promoted a now-defunct underground night club and broadcast dances over WOAI radio in San Antonio.
Later during the Cold War, it was a stocked nuclear fallout shelter (that luckily never had to be used — it wouldn't have been a very good one, considering it's not airtight).
Once upon a time, Longhorn was used as a " trap cave," meaning hunters would chase animals into the large opening to fall to their death. Scientists have found the bones of mastodon, bison, grizzly bear and deer there.
That's not exactly the kind of company I'd want to keep if I were stuck in a fallout shelter, but hey, it was a nice idea.
One legend details another local connection — the Texas Rangers' rescue of a San Antonio girl who was kidnapped and held in the cavern.
If you go: A walking tour ticket starts at $24. The trails on the state park grounds are free to access.
The cavern is a nice 68°F year-round.
Pro tip: You can pick up a Texas Cave Trail passport at one of five regional caves to get a free T-shirt after visiting them all.
The passport works for Longhorn Cavern State Park, Natural Bridge Caverns, Cave Without a Name, Caverns of Sonora and Inner Space Cavern.
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