Westcave
I hiked into paradise this morning, in the scrubland of the Texas Hill Country.
Hidden near Hamilton Pool, Westcave Preserve is less-known and more regulated than its neighbor, but it was Travis County's first nature preserve, established in 1976 when the land was purchased from a private owner.
The preserve itself is the lifework of the two men who run the place. Interesting guys, both of them, they seem the sort far more comfortable communing with plants and rocks than with people, despite working with them almost every day of the year.
You can't wander through this preserve as you might Hamilton Pool or Wild Basin. The only way you can see it is on one of the weekend tours, or by reservation during the week, but it's well worth the hassle. The tour starts at the top of a gorge, with a view overlooking the Pedernales River. Even in December, the trees held enough leaves that I couldn't get an entirely clear view of the river, much less a decent picture.
From there, the path winds around to a downward path into the canyon, divided into steps that pass between huge boulders and rock walls. At the bottom, there's a creek that flows nicely, clear and unspoiled, through the limestone. The path follows upstream along the creek until it reaches its source, a grotto with moss-covered rocks and towering trees that climb past the canyon walls to the sunlight. Water seeps through the springs at the top of the grotto and into a small waterfall, not as magnificent as Hamilton Pool, but lovely and delicate all the same.
Near the grotto, a path leads to a small cave, damp and fairly well lit, with stalactites and stalagmites forming around of the main walkway. Hidden in tiny crevices in the ceiling were two incredibly small bats, sleeping the late autumn morning away.
The hike up and out of the gorge wasn't particularly long, but it was entirely uphill, back up the steep staircase to the main visitors area. This time of year, most of the picturesque vegetation is dying off, but in the springtime, the gulch is said to be full of wildflowers.
It seems the sort of place to visit in every season, to see what the passing months have lent to the beauty of it, this hidden little paradise in the Hill Country.
Hidden near Hamilton Pool, Westcave Preserve is less-known and more regulated than its neighbor, but it was Travis County's first nature preserve, established in 1976 when the land was purchased from a private owner.
The preserve itself is the lifework of the two men who run the place. Interesting guys, both of them, they seem the sort far more comfortable communing with plants and rocks than with people, despite working with them almost every day of the year.
You can't wander through this preserve as you might Hamilton Pool or Wild Basin. The only way you can see it is on one of the weekend tours, or by reservation during the week, but it's well worth the hassle. The tour starts at the top of a gorge, with a view overlooking the Pedernales River. Even in December, the trees held enough leaves that I couldn't get an entirely clear view of the river, much less a decent picture.
From there, the path winds around to a downward path into the canyon, divided into steps that pass between huge boulders and rock walls. At the bottom, there's a creek that flows nicely, clear and unspoiled, through the limestone. The path follows upstream along the creek until it reaches its source, a grotto with moss-covered rocks and towering trees that climb past the canyon walls to the sunlight. Water seeps through the springs at the top of the grotto and into a small waterfall, not as magnificent as Hamilton Pool, but lovely and delicate all the same.
Near the grotto, a path leads to a small cave, damp and fairly well lit, with stalactites and stalagmites forming around of the main walkway. Hidden in tiny crevices in the ceiling were two incredibly small bats, sleeping the late autumn morning away.
The hike up and out of the gorge wasn't particularly long, but it was entirely uphill, back up the steep staircase to the main visitors area. This time of year, most of the picturesque vegetation is dying off, but in the springtime, the gulch is said to be full of wildflowers.
It seems the sort of place to visit in every season, to see what the passing months have lent to the beauty of it, this hidden little paradise in the Hill Country.