TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Longhorn Cavern State Park

State park in Burnet County, in the Hill Country region. Established 1976. 646 acres.

Longhorn Cavern — a Limestone Karst cave in the Texas Hill Country , Central Texas. I took photo at Longhorn Cavern with Canon camera.
Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Longhorn Cavern is a day-use park about an hour and 20 minutes northwest of Austin, built around a cave the Civilian Conservation Corps cleared of debris in the 1930s. The park grounds are free; you see the cavern on a paid guided tour, booked through VisitLonghornCavern.com. There's no camping, and TPWD points campers to nearby Inks Lake State Park.

Things to do

Cave tour

Guided tours take you through the cavern, with lighting on its natural formations. Book through VisitLonghornCavern.com.

CCC history

The CCC built the park's stone staircases, walls and buildings. An exhibit in the original administration building tells the story.

staircase leading to the cavern entrance
Photo: Dsdugan, CC0
constructed entrance to cavern
Photo: Dsdugan, CC0
Longhorn Caverns view of a hole
Photo: J.Paylor, CC BY-SA 4.0

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
33°F
July high
98°F
Rain per year
30.4 in.
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

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

Getting there

6211 Park Road 4 S.
Burnet, TX 78611
(512) 715-9000

Open in OpenStreetMap (30.6844, -98.3510)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
Austin1 hr 17 min44 mi
San Antonio2 hr 2 min85 mi
Waco2 hr 19 min91 mi
Fort Worth3 hr 37 min156 mi
Dallas3 hr 54 min173 mi
The Woodlands4 hr 11 min173 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Inks Lake State Park4 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  2. Post Oak Ridge State Park23 miles away. $2 per adult, kids 12 and under free.
  3. Colorado Bend State Park24 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Pedernales Falls State Park27 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  5. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area31 miles away. $8 per adult, kids 12 and under free.

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

Questions people ask

Is Longhorn Cavern free?

The park grounds are free. The cavern is only open on paid guided tours.

Can you camp at Longhorn Cavern State Park?

No. It's a day-use park. TPWD suggests camping at nearby Inks Lake State Park.

Photo credits

Sources

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

  1. TPWD: Longhorn 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: Longhorn Cavern State Park history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026