Caving Trips/Lectures/Demonstrations

Scouting & Outdoor Clubs

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We are the local branch of the National Speleological Society and as such we support and follow their policies of Conservation. Please note the Conservation section of this website linked below.

We give lectures, demonstrations and slide presentations to interested groups.  Contact us. See link at bottom of page.

Caving Trips -  Many commercial caves offer WILD CAVE TOURS. They vary in ability, value and available equipment, so we suggest you research them thoroughly.  The cost can range from $30 to over $100 per person.  

Natural Bridge Caverns is just a bit NE of San Antonio.  http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com

Long Horn Cavern State Park is about 50 miles W of Austin.  http://longhorncaverns.com/wildcave.html

Caverns of Sonora is one of the premier caves in Texas if not the US, as far as formations are concerned.   They are just west of Sonora TX , about 6 hrs west on Interstate 10. Contact them for more info: http://www.cavernsofsonora.com

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in New Mexico, just over the TX/NM border. They offer premier wild cave tours at reasonable prices.   They have one tour to Slaughter Cave, sometimes called New Cave.  It's a walking tour with flashlight. The cave has a great history and it's still a cool tour.  If you want to crawl and get the feeling of real wild caving you will want to check out  Spider Cave Tour it's very tight and crawly,  or Hall of the White Giant tour.  Carlsbad Caverns is approximately 12 hrs from Houston.  All tours are lead by park Rangers. Contact them for more info:  http://www.nps.gov/archive/cave/home.htm

Grottos can be a source of help to scouting troops that want to try wild caving.  We are asked a lot to help with trips. Large groups (over 15) can have a harder time trying to get  trips organized.  Trips on weekdays or holidays are tough since fewer cavers are available.  Saturdays are usually best.  In Houston, we have to contact cavers in other grottos since we don't manage caves. It can take a few weeks to get organized.  We also suggest a giving a talk on cave conservation and safety prior to any wild caving.

Small groups, 6 or less, may be able to partake in a vertical climbing demo at the Texas Rock Gym. This is by appointment only and a nominal fee of $12-$15 per person payable to the gym for use of their facilities.

NSS Conservation Policy - This explains our policy for "caving softly and safely." The Greater Houston Grotto is dedicated to protecting this valuable and fragile resource.

New Cavers - The NEW CAVERS page will give you a quick over view of what is necessary for your caving trip. Please see the section below. Remember that caving is inherently dangerous to you and the cave. DO NOT ever enter a cave without first getting proper training and supervision and authorization.

Links Page:  - For people wanting to research caves and caving from Texas to New Zealand, you can check our LINKS page for websites that will start you on your way to learning and discovering about caves and caving.

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