Day Trippin' › Texas › From Dallas › Natural Bridge Caverns
The drive from Dallas to Natural Bridge Caverns takes about 3 hr 47 min (southwest of Dallas), by real roads from ZIP 75201. Along the way we found 100 stops within a short detour: 19 coffee shops, 7 bakeries, 24 ice cream and treats and 28 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Dallas) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Cave
Big show cave near New Braunfels named for the natural limestone bridge at its entrance. Two guided cavern tours plus zip lines, a maze and gem mining above ground.
Heads-up: Book online early for discounts. Discovery Tour about 75 minutes, Hidden Wonders about 70 minutes. Check the hours page before you go.
First third Middle third Last third Natural Bridge Caverns
About 3 hr 47 min by road, heading southwest from the middle of ZIP 75201. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Czech Stop (West) and Franklin Barbecue (Austin). The page lists 30 in all, in driving order.
Twisty Donuts in Italy, Starbucks in Hillsboro, Czech Stop in West and Gerik's Ole Czech Bakery & Deli in West. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Rice Box Express in Italy, Texad Best Smokehouse in Italy, Lone Star Cafe in Hillsboro and El Taco Jalisco in Hillsboro.
Bruco, The Texas Italian Caterpillar in Italy, Waco Traffic Circle in Beverly, Old Town Salado in Salado and Salado Museum and College Park in Salado.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.