Southern Texas Road Trip: Caverns of Sonora, Stonehenge II, NASA
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Central and Southeast Texas don’t get as much fanfare as the mountain and hill country of West Texas (and growing up there was not the most exciting experience), but don’t zip right through on a road trip without making a few stops. A southern Texas road trip can be full of roadside oddities, historic sites, and natural wonders!
One unusual roadside attraction may come as a particular surprise. As travelers make their way across Texas from west to east (perhaps coming from Big Bend National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, or quirky Marfa, TX on their way to New Orleans, the Natchez Trace Parkway, or the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Site), seemingly in the middle of nowhere halfway between El Paso and Austin, signs begin to point to the Caverns of Sonora.
From above ground, you’d never suspect anything might be different about this land. A 20-inch opening to the first cavern may have never been discovered on the Mayfield Ranch in the 1920s if not for the family’s curious dog. Initially, locals could only explore about 500 feet back, but in the 1950s the larger cave system was uncovered, and a world-class one at that. In an effort to protect it from haphazard human impact, the Caverns of Sonora was turned into an official tourist attraction with measures in place for preservation. It opened to the public in 1960.
Featured image “Caverns of Sonora” by Leah Caroline Jones is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. All other photos are mine.
What makes the Caverns of Sonora special?
The Caverns of Sonora has the only “butterfly” helictite formation in the world. A helictite “has a branching, curved, or spiraled shape and may grow in any direction in seeming defiance of gravity.” The butterfly formation appears to have wings because two fishtail helictites sprout from the same point on the cave wall.
Our tour guide told us a sad story about how a guest broke part of one wing off during a tour when no-one was looking so he could bring it home, ruining a gazillion years of perfect conditions that created such a unique growth. Thankfully the State of Texas agreed that this should qualify as vandalism, and now it’s a felony to deface any cave in Texas. The Sonora Caverns no longer allow people to carry bags or to lag behind too far on tours.
Other interesting formations at the Caverns of Sonora include “snowballs,” glittering blue pools, the “bacon” formation, and of course countless impressive stalagmites and stalactites.
How to tour the Caverns of Sonora
Visitors may only go below ground to see the caverns if they purchase a ticket for a guided tour. Tours are available daily and year-around, except on Christmas. Their hours vary between summer and winter, so be sure to check the website. An adult ticket is $28, a child ticket is $22, and infants younger than 4 years old are free. You can buy tickets onsite at the gift shop (which also sells great fudge!) or online.
The main tour is called the Crystal Palace Tour, a 1 hour 45 minute walk that involves 2 miles and 360 stair steps – wear comfortable walking shoes! If you’d like to book the more adventurous Discovery Tour, which involves rappelling, or take your time on a slower Photography Tour, these should be organized in advance.
It is rather humid and warm 155 feet underground. You are advised not to wear a jacket; I think this is also an attempt to keep folks from taking stalagmites and stalactites and hiding them in their coat pockets.
Note that pets are not allowed on the tours, but they do offer kennels free of charge.
Camping at Caverns of Sonora
The caverns are not the only unique attraction at the Caverns of Sonora. Roaming deer, turkey, and peacocks will be your neighbors if you pitch your tent or park your RV/camper at the campsite! Pitching a tent is $15 per night with a limit of 4 people per site; any type of vehicle camping is $25 per night, tax already included. Restrooms, showers, water, and electric hookups are available, although there is no dump station because of the cavern.
I loved camping here and found it to be very peaceful, relaxing, and clean. Since it’s tucked away from any main roads, it doesn’t suffer from traffic noise.
Detailed map of other roadside attractions in Central and Southeast Texas
As you continue east from Caverns of Sonora on towards your destination in Louisiana or beyond, keep an eye out for the dozens of other roadside attractions in Central and Southeast Texas that I’ve listed on my custom road trip map below.
The most famous tourist attraction in Southeast Texas has got to be NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston. One of my friends works in the NASA control room and offered to take me on a private tour of her workplace! You can buy tickets for your own Space Center tour here or here.
I got to check out Saturn V inside Rocket Park, go in the astronaut training center to climb aboard the flight deck and other training spacecrafts, and watch employees at work in Mission Control. We even admired the Olympic-sized pool where they’ve submerged rocket parts; astronauts can dive in to experience an environmental simulation by moving about in heavy suits.
While in Houston, make time for a meal at Saint Arnold’s Brewing Company. Saint Arnold’s is a popular outdoor beer garden that also serves amazing TexMex (order the queso!), allows dogs, and features a unique “Art Cars” exhibition.
The series of Art Cars on display at Saint Arnold’s is a great primer if you have plans to visit the Art Car Museum in Houston. The owner regularly drives in Houston’s Art Car Parade.
I grew up nearby in Beaumont, Texas, home to the legend of Bragg Road, otherwise known as the Saratoga Ghost Road. In the dark, damp depths of the Big Thicket hovers a mysterious glowing orb of light. Perhaps it’s the floating lantern of a railroad worker killed on the old tracks, or perhaps it’s a will-o’-the-wisp, or a UFO. Whatever it is, it only presents itself to the brave souls who dare to park in the forest in the dead of night. I wrote more extensively on how to find the ghost road.
A Texas Tradition: Buc-ee’s
Don’t forget to make an obligatory stop at Buc-ee’s while adventuring throughout Texas! If you’re new to the state, you’ll quickly learn that the best part about driving here is the Buc-ee’s signs. As soon as you start seeing them, or noticing lots of hot sauce advertisements, Cavender’s Boots stores, or Blue Bell Ice Cream being sold, you know you’ve officially arrived. Buc-ee’s billboards dot the entire highway system to alert you to be ready for the next megastore truck stop location, even if that location isn’t for another 100 miles. A lot of the billboards are pretty funny, and all their claims about the cleanest bathrooms and best homemade snacks are true. If you haven’t been inside a Buc-ee’s before, you haven’t lived.
Related:
🏨 Find budget hostels in Houston and standard hotel options in Houston.
🏕️ Find free or paid campsites in Texas via The Dyrt.
✈️ Coming to Texas from further afield? Use an Airalo eSIM for affordable international cell data and don’t forget to protect your investment with travel insurance.
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