SAN ANTONIO – Dark. Creepy. Cold.

That’s how most people would describe the longest known cave in Texas, which runs more than 20 miles underground just outside of Bexar County.

But for the hundreds of cavers who have spent more than 30 years exploring and mapping the underground formation, it is a natural work of art.

Honey Creek Cave, which is not open to the public, resides under private land near the Guadalupe State Park between New Braunfels and Boerne, said Kurt Menking, chairman of the Texas Speleological Association.

Menking described Honey Creek Cave as “brutal” for cavers because some of it is underwater and specialized equipment is required to deal with the elements.

"Much of the exploring and mapping is done by compass and measurements," he said, adding that GPS isn't an option underground.

The cave is a tributary to the Guadalupe River and runs under Comal and Kendall Counties. South Central Texas is one of the best regions in the state for caving, said Menking, who has been exploring caverns around San Antonio since 1973.

“You don’t have to go far to find some really great caves,” said Menking. “There are more than 1,000 caves within 40 miles (of San Antonio).”

According to the Texas Speleological Association, there are 575 known caves in Bexar County and about 90 percent of those are less than 25 feet high and most are on private land. In Texas, more than 5,000 caves have been surveyed.

The deepest known cave in Bexar County is nearly 300 feet deep and the largest surveyed cave by volume in Texas is Fern Cave in Val Verde County, which is an estimated 10 million cubic feet, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

Menking said nearly all the caves in Bexar County are north of downtown, and many caves are in the Spring Branch area.

Menking, 57, said regional caving groups, such as the Bexar Grotto, typically do not disclose specific locations of underground formations on private property to protect the land owner and cave from unwanted visitors.

However, he said many of the state's commercial caves, many of which are near Bexar County, are terrific.

For example, the Natural Bridge Caverns are in Comal County, the Cave Without A Name and Cascade Caverns are near Boerne.

Menking's favorite commercial cave in the state is at the Sonora Caverns, about 200 miles northwest of San Antonio off Interstate 10.

Kickapoo Cavern State Park near Bracketville is owned and operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is about 140 miles west of San Antonio.

kparker@express-news.net

Twitter: @KoltenParker