Kickapoo Cavern State Park - Texas Parks and Wildlife

06/04/2026

Park is back open and operating as normal. The following is not up to date:

Park Alert - Kickapoo Cavern Start Park will have a delayed open on Friday June 5th for restroom repairs. We aim to be open by 1pm, however this delay could extended if more issues arise. Once facilities are operating the park will be open to the public. If you have questions please call 830-563-7024. If you have a reservation, you should have already been contacted. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

05/11/2026

Wait for it... ⚡️!! Bats on a stormy night at Stuart Bat Cave.

Thats not the sound of rain you hear, its the sound of bat wings! Hundreds of thousands of bats leave this cave nightly. These are Mexican free-tailed bats that reside in Stuart Bat Cave during the summer. These bats will fly up to 10,000ft in the air to feed on agriculutural pests like corn earworm moths!

Bat flights can be viewed with a day pass or camping pass on Friday, Saturday or Sunday night. Bat numbers vary throughout the summer, you can always call our office at 830-563-2342 to get the most up to date information.

05/09/2026

Check out this cool opportunity at Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area - Texas Parks and Wildlife!!

Click this link for more information or to apply:

https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/802/jobdetail.ftl?job=00058151&tz=GMT-05%3A00&tzname=America%2FChicago

04/17/2026

Happy from us at Kickapoo Cavern State Park. We LOVE Bats here!! They are a vital part of our local ecosystem, saving farmers millions of dollars in pesticides each year!

Kickapoo Cavern State Park is home to Stuart Bat Cave which in the summer months can house up to ~ 1 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Now this number sounds like a lot, and it is, but it can fluctuate greatly depending on when in summer you visit! From our observations, Stuart Bat Cave is currently a stop-over roost location for these bats. During spring migration, this cave will continue to have an increase in the population till around June, then the females will go to another cave to give birth to their pups. The temperature inside Stuart Bat Cave is not hot enough for baby bats to survive. 6 weeks after birth, these pups have learned to fly and fend for themselves! They will then return to Stuart Bat Cave around late August which is when we get to see the highest population of bats emerge from the cave, around 1 million bats!

Kickapoo Cavern State Park is only open for bat viewing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. A permit is required for viewing (day use or camping), no extra fees to see the bat flight. Call us at 830-563-2342 to get an updated bat population count from our rangers.

04/12/2026

Park Alert - The bird blind will be closed for upgrades and repairs from June 1st through June 30th. These fixes will be fully funded through donations from park visitors. Work will include staining wood, extending water feature, adding a small pond to reduce water leakage and attract more wildlife. Thank y'all for your continued support of Kickapoo Cavern State Park!

04/05/2026

Happy Easter from Kickapoo Cavern State Park.

Pictured is a blooming prickly pear cactus with pink and yellow flowers

03/11/2026

Sometimes, above ground a creek looks dry, but where does the creek go? This creek in Kickapoo Cavern State Park goes under the surface! You can hear Indigo Creek flowing under the rocks here. For a short time, this creek flowed underground before running out of water. Super cool to hear, not see!

03/04/2026

Spring has arrived to Kickapoo Cavern State Park! Flowers here are blooming and the park smells so good. We have rain in the forecast that should help the rest of the plants flower. Can you name all these flowering plants?

Remember if you visit us, we are open Friday 8am to Monday 4:30pm. We do a Cavern Tour every Saturday at 1pm and we are sold out through April 25th. Reservations open 5 months in advance so plan ahead! We still opportunities for hiking and the bats should be arriving any week.

Questions? Give us a call at 830-563-2342

02/15/2026

🌟 Feel-Good Friday: Meet our volunteers who make a difference! 🌟

John began volunteering at Kickapoo Cavern State Park in January of 2019 along with his wife Joyce. John and Joyce first started their volunteering career in 2018 at Seminole Canyon State Park. When they retired, they decided to leave Illinois, pack their camper and volunteer with Texas State Parks. They have been dedicated to educating park visitors and have worked hard in contributing to the maintenance and conservation of Kickapoo Cavern State Park. As a park host, John wears many hats. He’s a maintenance volunteer and has guided countless visitors through interpretive tours. We are proud to have John on our team at Kickapoo Cavern State Park.

Thank you, John and Joyce!

02/15/2026

Summer Internships are now open for Texas Parks & Wildlife, and specifically Kickapoo Cavern State Park! This position is open to college students and recent graduates. You will get a hands-on experience in all aspects of park operations. You could help lead cavern tours, check in visitors, and conduct trail maintenance! A full hook-up RV site will be provided (RV trailer not included).

Apply for TPWD - Intern I - II - III (State Parks Region 1 – West Texas)
Make sure to list Kickapoo Cavern as a preferred placement!

Applications Open: February 11 – March 11

Minimum Qualifications:
-Current enrollment as an undergraduate or graduate student, or graduated within the last six months
-Minimum of 18 completed college semester hours at the time of application
-Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher
-Must possess a valid driver’s license

Please include your college transcript in your online application!

APPLY at tpwd.texas.gov/jobs/internship.phtml
REGISTER FOR OUR INTERNSHIP FAIR at https://forms.office.com/g/iHr6hUba2r

Tips for applying:

Make sure to address all of the “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” and “Working Conditions” in the “Work Experience - Duties Summary” section of the online application

List any relevant skills, work experience or certificates!