Natural Bridge
Natural Bridge is an attraction in Texas, at a modelled elevation of 310 m. Twin Sisters stands 537 m to the north-northwest, 21 miles off. The nearest named place is Natural Bridge Mining Company, a attraction less than a tenth of a mile away. Texas Hill Country Trail passes 7.3 miles off.
The story
The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest commercial caverns in the US state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60-foot (18 m) natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern's entrance. The span was left suspended when a sinkhole collapsed below it. The caverns are located near the city of San Antonio, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country next to the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch, a drive-through wildlife safari park. The caverns feature several unique speleothems and other geological formations, including magnificent stalactites that hang from the ceiling . The temperature inside the cave is 70 °F (21 °C) year-round and the humidity rate is a constant 99 percent. The deepest part of the public tour is 180 feet (55 m) below the surface, although undeveloped areas of the cavern reach depths of 230 feet (70 m). The caverns are still slowly developing. Due to the porosity of the limestone, rainwater travels downward through the layers of rock, where it dissolves out calcite, a weak mineral that makes up all the speleothems at the Natural Bridge Caverns. After exiting the limestone, water enters the caverns where it flows and drips constantly throughout, causing the formations to retain a waxy luster that can be seen in a few caverns.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q10856113, matched on coordinates and name (36 m apart).
What to expect
- Fee
- Yes
How to reach it
- 7.3 mi off the Texas Hill Country Trail
- 10.6 mi off the Texas Independence Trail
Overlooks nearby
- Wetland Wonders · 26 mi
- Sinkholes · 26 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Natural Bridge Caverns: 0.0 mi
- Zions Kirche: 5.9 mi
- Davenport Cemetery: 6.2 mi
- New Braunfels Schuetzen Verein: 7.4 mi
- Comal Community: 7.8 mi
- Park Lane Park: 3.6 mi
- Rim Rock Ranch Park: 4.4 mi
- Winding Oaks Park: 4.5 mi
- Harvey B. Bell Park: 4.5 mi
- Paul Davis Park: 4.6 mi
- Vogels Peak: 4.5 mi
- Classen Hill: 6.6 mi
- Comanche Lookout: 7.6 mi
- Theis Hill: 8.8 mi
- Startz Hill: 9.5 mi
- Zucht Display Building: 11.4 mi
- MC&SA #6: 11.4 mi
- Pullman McKeever: 11.4 mi
- ASTF Superintendent's Car #404: 11.4 mi
- Wallaceville: 11.4 mi
- Taking Flight Bronze Sculpture: 11.0 mi
- City of a Prince: 13.1 mi
- Rose of Lima: 13.3 mi
- World's Largest Cowboy Boots: 15.0 mi
- Buc-ee's Beaver: 16.0 mi
- Natural Bridge Mining Company: 0.0 mi
- Bracken Cave: 0.7 mi
- Cub Cave: 8.3 mi
- Bear Cave: 8.3 mi
- EOG Resources: 8.8 mi
- Kinder Ranch Elementary Garden: 7.2 mi
- Monarch Waystation: 8.5 mi
- Guadalupe County Community Garden: 10.0 mi
- El Dorado Community Garden: 10.0 mi
- Ron Pedde Memorial Community Garden: 10.2 mi
- Devine Spring: 3.4 mi
- Cherry Spring: 3.5 mi
- Walnut Spring: 3.6 mi
- Indian Springs: 3.9 mi
- Bear Springs: 10.7 mi
- Bracken Cave Preserve: 0.6 mi
- Menoo Woods: 9.3 mi
- James C. Curry Nature Center: 14.0 mi
- Medallion Park: 19.0 mi
- Bird of Prey: 19.2 mi
- Honey Creek: 12.3 mi
- Fratt: 12.5 mi
- Coker: 12.9 mi
- Adkins: 21.6 mi
- Lone Oak Community: 23.2 mi
- Medicine Wall: 14.0 mi
- Canyon Lake Spillway Gorge: 14.5 mi
- Canyon Lake Spillway Gorge: 14.6 mi
- Canyon Lake Spillway Gorge: 14.7 mi
- Canyon Lake Spillway Gorge: 15.1 mi
- The Picnic Place: 11.0 mi
- Alumni Pavillion: 21.1 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 20.9 miles of Natural Bridge. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Sisters | NNW 343° | 537 m | 20.9 mi |
| Devils Hill | NW 322° | 466 m | 10.2 mi |
| Cross Mountain | W 264° | 460 m | 19.5 mi |
| High Hill | W 269° | 456 m | 13.0 mi |
| Leon Hill | W 262° | 451 m | 13.3 mi |
| Big Head Mountain | N 4° | 450 m | 20.0 mi |
| Butte Hill | W 276° | 449 m | 12.7 mi |
| Sykes Hill | W 274° | 449 m | 13.1 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:38 | 19:14 | 19:45 |
| June solstice | 06:34 | 20:03 | 20:37 |
| September equinox | 07:22 | 19:00 | 19:31 |
| December solstice | 07:25 | 17:03 | 17:39 |
Local time (America/Chicago).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Feb–May, Sep–Dec.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 49 | 53 | 60 | 67 | 74 | 80 | 83 | 83 | 78 | 69 | 58 | 52 |
| Precip in | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — NEW Braunfels, 11 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/1265448228
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