History of McNeil Railroad Cave discussed and explained.

McNeil Railroad Cave is one of the most obscure caves of Austin/Travis County. History and geology of this cave have not been accurately preserved as some of the other caves in the Austin area. This article will explain the history and geology behind McNeil Railroad Cave.

McNeil Railroad Cave was called “McNeil Railroad Cave” due to location at the Mountain Pacific Union Railroad. This cave located directly under the railroad. McNeil Railroad Cave was known for its closeness at the Mountain Pacific Union Railroad and those limestone quarries owned by Austin White Limestone Company.


Albert Robinson discovered McNeil Railroad Cave in 1861 when he establishing Robinson Ranch. Albert Robinson owned the ranch land this cave was located on. Keeping people out of McNeil Railroad Cave was difficult to being located on expansive ranch land and rugged terrain.

Austin White Limestone Company acquired more land in Travis County and Williamson County for their mining operations in 1887. They needed an access road for their limestone quarries. Austin White Limestone Company acquired the land where McNeil Railroad Cave was from Albert Robinson in 1888 including the quarries.

Other parts of this cave has since been paved over sometime during the 20th century around as Austin White Limestone Company needed an access road for their limestone quarries. So the entrances may have been paved over, filled, plugged, and blocked by Austin White Limestone Company.

Austin White Limestone Company had been using this cave as a trash dump since 1954. The cave was filled entirely with trash and industrial garbage. The main entrance of this cave was paved over by quarry workers in 1957.

Texas Speleological Survey reported in 1958 that McNeil Railroad Cave was then filled almost entirely with trash and garbage. Railroad officials from Mountain Pacific Union Railroad closed McNeil Railroad Cave because it was dangerous by trains passing overhead. McNeil Railroad Cave could only be explored for about 50 feet by then. This cave was said to be located in an artificial ravine near a clump of trees, and consists entirely of a crawlway running under the railroad tracks. (Ref: https://www.texasspeleologicalsurvey.org/PDF/TSS_Volume1/TSS 1(1) compressed.pdf)

So by 1958 is when McNeil Railroad Cave was paved over and filled entirely with industrial garbage and trash. The cave was filled entirely with trash.

A detailed hydrological investigation for the McNeil Cave Cluster was completed in December 2010  by Travis County officials and will assist in delineating the area needed for protection. Protection of these Cave Clusters will require acquisition of acreage large enough to protect the karst ecosystems for several caves including cave drainage basins and cave cricket foraging areas. (Ref: https://www2.traviscountytx.gov/commissioners_court/agendas/2011/08/backup/eagenda_packet_20110830.pdf)

Today Austin White Limestone Company owns the property and mineral rights to McNeil Railroad Cave. Mountain Pacific Union Railroad owns some public utility rights to this land. The Mountain Pacific Union Railroad has been lined over McNeil Railroad Cave.


The boundaries of McNeil Railroad Cave are as follows: McNeil Railroad Cave is located north of Howard Lane bounded by the Mountain Pacific Union Railroad and south of the McNeil Post Office. Boundaries of the area for this cave a bounded by the Pacific Railroad to the west, Howard Lane to the south, and another road to the east. These boundaries on a triangular shaped chunk of land.

Unsurprising the geology McNeil Railroad Cave is composed entirely of limestone as is the case with many caves in Texas. So one can expect to see limestone inside of this cave.

McNeil Railroad Cave is located on Howard Lane, Austin, Texas, US 78727.