About Westcave
Photo from Austin History Center
Explore, Learn, Protect
Founded in 1976 as Westcave Preserve, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring people to develop a lifelong practice of enjoying and protecting nature. Today, Westcave protects our preserve in Southwest Travis County and welcomes visitors, students, volunteers, and community partners into a landscape shaped by water, limestone, restoration, and care.
William Oliphant, 1870s
Matthew Guthrie, 2021
Our Story At A Glance
Westcave’s history is rooted in community vision and long-term care. From the original land purchase in 1974 to the creation of Girls+ Outside, each chapter reflects the people, partnerships, and decisions that helped shape the preserve.
What We Do
Westcave uses the preserve as an outdoor classroom, helping students and visitors learn about geology, ecology, water, wildlife, and conservation.
Through restoration, monitoring, and long-term land stewardship, Westcave protects rare Hill Country habitats for future generations.
Westcave works with schools, nonprofits, volunteers, and community partners to expand access to nature and strengthen conservation across Central Texas.
Westcave Preserve is one of more than 140 protected tracts that make up the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, a network of over 33,000 acres managed by public and private partners across western Travis County. The BCP was created in 1996 to protect habitat for endangered species, including the golden-cheeked warbler, while while providing landowners with a coordinated way to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.
What this means for Westcave
Being part of the BCP connects Westcave to a much larger landscape of protected habitat. Public access, research, restoration, and land-management decisions are carefully balanced with the preserve’s primary purpose: protecting sensitive habitat and wildlife.
Learn more about the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and explore ways to volunteer across the preserve system by clicking the button below.
Part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve
