Visiting Boerne, Texas: Everything You Need to Know
If you are looking for a day trip from San Antonio that includes historical caves, unique nature trails, and reasonably-priced boutique shopping, then look no further than Boerne, Texas. On Saturday I made the 33-mile trip up north to the Hill Country. In today’s blog I’ll tell you all about my trip and everything you need to know about visiting Boerne, Texas.
Quick Summary:
- Basic itinerary for a day trip to Boerne
- In-depth review of Cascade Caverns, shopping on Main Street and the Cibolo Center for Conservation
- Alternative options for things to do in Boerne
- Where to eat
- How to get to Boerne and parking
- Photo tips in Boerne
A Day in Boerne
Boerne, Texas has a lot going for it. The cute little shopping district down Main Street would be enough in my book to warrant a visit. But in addition, Boerne is also the site of two Texas ‘show caves’: Cascade Caverns and Cave Without a Name. And if shopping and caves don’t float your boat, then you also have the Cibolo Center for Conservation to explore.
On my trip to Boerne, I tackled all three points of interest and did so within a totally doable time frame. Here is how my day went:
9:15 a.m. – Leave San Antonio
10:00 a.m. – Tour of Cascade Caverns
11:00 a.m. – Arrive in downtown Boerne; shopping down Main Street
1:30 p.m. – Lunch at the Dienger Trading Co.
2:30 p.m. – Hiking at the Cibolo Center for Conservation
5:00 p.m. – Headed home to San Antonio
The Historical Charm of Cascade Caverns
I have been a fan of exploring cave since I was a little kid. On numerous trips through Tennessee and North Carolina with my family, I got to live out my exploration fantasies.
With several caves under my belt – Linville Caverns and Ruby Falls, most notably — I was looking forward to a trip to Cascade Caverns.
In terms of overall amazement, Cascade Caverns is lower down on the scale. The cave length is only a half a mile, with five rooms total. In terms of interesting rock formations, there are ‘soda straws,’ a small ‘lake’ area, and a cathedral room with a 50+ foot ceiling. But I would argue that Cascade Caverns is still worth the trip.
Originally discovered by the Lipan Apache people in the 1700s, the caves were rediscovered by a group of local children in the 1840s. The caves were opened to the public in 1932, and is the oldest cave attraction in Texas. To me the gift shop, cheesy dinosaur sculpture, and overall folksy charm of Cascade Caverns make it definitely worth the price of admission.
The biggest selling point for the trip, however, is tour guide, Brandon. I have visited many, many old-time attractions. Let’s be honest: after a while, all caves start to look the same. In comparison, Brandon‘s tour made me laugh out loud. There were two inquisitive children on our tour, and Brandon didn’t miss a beat (or throw them into the depths of the cave). The tour was informative, but not boringly scientific and overall highly entertaining.
The ‘Downunder’ tour that I experienced costs $19.95 for each adult, and takes about an hour. Note that during the tour you will have to duck underneath a very low ceiling for a period of about 15 feet. But the tunnel is open on the sides, so it should be manageable for anyone claustrophobic..
If you are looking for a greater challenge underground, then I might suggest the aquifer tour. This tour takes you down to the aquifer below Cascade Caverns, which is where most of the water in Texas comes from. To get there, you’ll have to go across a ladder and down a very ominous looking tube. The tour also involves wading through two or three feet of water. This is only for the brave.
Shopping in Boerne
Wallet warriors, by contrast, will find their mission very easy in Boerne. The town is filled with cute little shops along that provide unique artisan items made locally. Prices were definitely reasonable, especially at the Dienger Trading Company. I would estimate 80% of the stores are women’s clothing shops, with a strong smattering of decor and antiques.
Two of the most interesting shop on the strip are the Christmas Shoppe and a Little Nature Store. The Christmas shop has ornaments year-round. The shop also features decor for every holiday, so you will be covered no matter when you put up the tree.
A Little Nature Store has a very relaxing park just to the side of the building. Inside, each room is focused on a different animal. For instance, the back corner room sells everything bat-related, from stuffed animals to books. The store also has a ‘make-your-own’ selection of bird feed that almost looks good enough for humans.
Cibolo Center for Conservation
As a former East Coast resident, I will admit I have been missing the trees of New York. The Cibolo Center for Conservation, however, made me feel right at home with more than enough forest foliage.
The Cibolo Center for Conservation includes a wide variety of terrain including a large Monarch butterfly meadow, bird sanctuary, marshlands, and the Cibolo Creek. It’s in this marshland area that you find an amazing cluster of cypress trees. These trees, with their amazingly intricate roots and protective foliage, create an inviting, shady paradise. And if you walk quietly along the trails, you are bound to come across a deer or two.
While hiking the trails through the conservation center, I also took a minute to visit her Herff Farm. This portion of the park includes an educational garden and historical home. While I was there, a catering crew was setting up for an event that evening. I can imagine that this is quite the venue for events. The farm has string lights everywhere, a scenic barn, and an old-fashioned windmill, perfect for mentally transporting visitors to the old homefront.
My hiking trip from one end of the Cibolo Center for Conservation to the end took around three hours. There is free parking and admission to the park is also free. There are restrooms on site, and most importantly, a water fountain in the Herff Farm area.
Other Things to Do in Boerne
While I had a great time visiting the Cascade Caverns and Cibolo Center for Conservation, you have other options for your visit to Boerne Texas. There is another cave complex ironically named the Cave Without a Name. This is a slightly newer (and more expensive) cave. I’ll make it there on my next visit.
Other nearby attractions include:
- Diamond C Stables and Ranch
- Old Jail Museum
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- Tejas Rodeo Co.
- The Dugout of Boerne
- Trisum Sailing
For hiking, you have lots of options in this neck of the woods:
- Guadalupe River State Park
- James Kiehl River Bend Park
- Joshua Springs Park and Preserve
- Kreutzberg Canyon Natural Area
- Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area
Where to Eat in Boerne
I was only there for lunch, but I can well recommend the bistro at the Dienger Trading Company. You’ll not only find reasonably priced items in the boutique, but the food is great as well. I had a pressed ham and cheese sandwich with French fries, while my friend Ana had a cheeseburger with bacon. And for whatever reason, their lemonade is the best I’ve ever had. Service was great, and I would definitely go back again.
When Ana and I were searching for a place to eat, these restaurants also caught our eye:
How to Get to Boerne and Parking
To get to Boerne from San Antonio, it’s a straight shot up Interstate 10. For those of you, like me, who aren’t a fan of the busy highways, you’ll be happy to know you can frontage road it all the way there. While my trip last weekend to Blanco for the annual lavender festival was a white-knuckled, intense trip from hell, I found the drive to Boerne to be quite pleasant.
Finally, you can’t talk about traveling in Texas without also discussing parking. The good news is that free parking does exist in Boerne. There is a paid parking lot right in front of Botero Tapas. However, if you get there early enough you can park in front of the Kendall County Courthouse along East San Antonio Street for free. We arrived around 11:30 a.m. and found plenty of spots.
Photo Tips in Boerne
First off, Boerne Texas is full of lovely people. I walked around all day with a big, black camera hanging around my neck and no one batted and eye. Shopkeepers were incredibly warm and always allowed me to take photos. My advice, as with everything, is to just be nice and ask permission. No shops turned me down for photos.
It was the same situation at Cascade Caverns. Photo and video is allowed in the cave. I brought no extra lights or flash with me, and simply relied on the ISO of my Canon 5D Mark IV camera. Focusing may be a little challenging under low light, but my suggestion is to up your ISO and run with it. I left my camera at f/3.2, 1/320 at an ISO of 8000. I did have to do some exposure adjustment in Lightroom during editing. While my original RAW files were quite grainy, I found Lightroom’s denoise filter to be more than sufficient to take care of it.
Conclusion
This summer, I am bound and determined to hit the road to discover more about Texas. As a new resident to San Antonio, I have a long list of road trips ahead of me. This weekend’s trip to Boerne, well worth the mileage.
Boerne has a lot to offer in terms of urban and environmental interests. Furthermore, the shops and restaurants were not priced to break the bank. I will definitely make a second trip, if nothing else then to compare caves.
Enjoy the images, and I’ll see you on the road in Texas…and beyond.
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If you found this article on ‘Visiting Boerne, Texas’ interesting, then check out some of my other recent posts:
Any recommendations for my next Texas road trip? Drop me a line and let me know where I should head next.
To view more images from my travel and photojournalism portfolio, please visit my website – Kelly-Williams.com
Hi! I just came across this, and I liked the article! I was the Tour Guide you had at Cascade Caverns, although my name is Brandon, not Brendan. I’m glad you enjoyed my tour! While the cave is, like you mentioned, not as grand as others, we make up for it in the lack of commercialization and intimacy of being up close to the formations and wildlife that call the cave their home. As a photographer myself, I thought your photos were amazing. The rest of the article was also great and gave a lot of good information about my hometown!
Hi Brandon, Thanks for the reply. I’ll update the article and thanks for your kind words. I really enjoyed the tour! Cheers, Kelly