A hiker tipped off Austin Police Department and other agencies off earlier this year in 2020. The hiker complained about homeless people using Hobo Cave as a transient camp and trash was everywhere.
Austin Police Department and Austin Parks and Recreation had discovered homeless people had been setting up transient camps inside the cave just feet away from walk paths on Gus Fruh Park and Barton Creek Preserve. This was nothing unusual as Austin Police Department had been finding three transient camps per week on average. Police discovered an array trash inside Hobo Cave.
After Austin Police Department and Austin Parks and Recreation had discovered homeless people had been setting up transient camps inside the cave just feet away from walk paths on Gus Fruh Park and Barton Creek Preserve, the City of Austin ordered Austin Police Department and Austin Parks and Recreation to clean out Hobo Cave. The cave went through an extensive cleanup by city workers. All personal belonging were removed. Trash was removed.
Homeless people have been using the cave as an illegal dump according to from information given to them by another hiker.
However graffiti was not removed because Barton Creek Preserve has federally protected species of plants and animals in the area. Removing the graffiti would disturb the natural wildlife and rock formations of the caves about The Flats above Barton Creek.
In order for removal of graffiti to have been enacted, city workers would have had to chisel the limestone in and around this cave. That could not be done since Hobo Cave was located inside of a federally protected park. Federal laws prohibit any modifications to this cave or any of the other caves located in the preserve.
Hobo Cave can be dangerous if you are not careful. There have been people who have died from falling down Hobo Cave. Many people have been injured while trying to climb the outside of Hobo Cave. That section below the whole cave is dangerous. Climbers have injured themselves while attempting to enter the cave.
Austin Police Department (APD) had issues with people drinking up there being intoxicated and falling off. There have been many intoxicated people who have gotten hurt after falling down from that cave. Some have even died while falling from the cliff side of that cave.
As of June 2020 there are no reports of Hobo Cave being used as a transient camp. Austin Police Department and Austin Parks and Recreation have been keeping a close eye on the cave by patrolling park grounds nightly. Hobo Cave remains open to the public and has not been gated. Austin Police Department cleared and cleaned up the inside of Hobo Cave after a hiker tipped agencies off.
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