TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Kickapoo Cavern State Park

State park in Kinney County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1991. 6,368 acres.

A landscape photo from the top of a hill in Kickapoo Cavern State Park in Kinney and Edwards County, Texas, United States.
Photo: Mark Gustafson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kickapoo Cavern is a lightly developed park about 22 miles north of Brackettville, with 20 known caves. Kickapoo Cavern itself is about 1,400 feet long and open on guided Saturday tours. Stuart Bat Cave holds thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats from mid-March to the end of October. The park is closed Tuesday through Thursday, and there's no trash service, so pack out what you bring.

Things to do

Cave tour

Guided tours of Kickapoo Cavern run every Saturday at 1 p.m., and reservations are required. Entering caves without a guide is not allowed.

Bat flights

Bats usually live in Stuart Bat Cave from mid-March to the end of October and leave each evening at dusk.

Hike, bike and bird

Take the Armadillo Lookout Trail for a panoramic view. About 240 bird species have been seen here; borrow binoculars at headquarters.

Papershell Pinyon Pinus remota , Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Kinney County, Texas, USA.
Photo: pufferchung, CC BY 4.0
Papershell Pinyon Pinus remota , Kickapoo Cavern State Park, Kinney County, Texas, USA.
Photo: pufferchung, CC BY 4.0
Shrubby blue sage ( Salvia ballotiflora ) in the United States
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficulty
Seargeant Memorial Trail0.7 miModerate
Pine Canyon Loop1.9 miEasy
Armadillo Lookout Trail0.6 miModerate
Vireo Vista Trail0.4 miEasy
Barbado Ridge Trail2.2 miModerate to Strenuous
Arroyo Camino1.5 miStrenuous
The Long Way Home Trail6.7 miModerate
Stuart Bat Cave Cut-off0.6 miEasy

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

There are five full hookup sites, 10 water-only sites and a 30-person group camp. RVs over 36 feet won't fit.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Full Hookup CampsitesFull hookup56$25
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water106$15
Group CampGroup$45

Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.

Visiting with dogs

Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.

Swimming

TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.

Best time to go

January low
35°F
July high
95°F
Rain per year
18 in.
Night sky
Bortle 2

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

20939 RR 674
Brackettville, TX 78832
(830) 563-2342

Open in OpenStreetMap (29.6100, -100.4525)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
San Antonio3 hr 12 min116 mi
Austin4 hr 25 min168 mi
Midland5 hr 30 min194 mi
Corpus Christi6 hr 6 min237 mi
Waco6 hr 14 min236 mi
Houston6 hr 32 min304 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Devils River State Natural Area32 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area32 miles away.
  3. Garner State Park43 miles away. $8 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Bear Creek State Park46 miles away.
  5. Seminole Canyon State Park & Historic Site52 miles away. $4 per adult, kids 12 and under free.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Hill Country.

Questions people ask

Can you tour Kickapoo Cavern?

Yes, on a guided tour every Saturday at 1 p.m. Reservations are required.

When is Kickapoo Cavern State Park open?

Friday through Monday. It's closed Tuesday through Thursday.

How much does Kickapoo Cavern State Park cost?

Day-use entry is $3 per adult, and kids 12 and under get in free. Cave tours cost extra.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Kickapoo Cavern has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Kickapoo Cavern State Park, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Kickapoo Cavern State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Kickapoo Cavern State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Kickapoo Cavern State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026