An extensive in-depth look at Fern Pit Cave in Austin, Texas.

Fern Pit Cave is one of the lesser known secluded caves of Austin, Texas. Not too much information can be found out about Fern Pit Cave. Hardly any information can be found or researched at all. This news article will explain what Fern Pit Cave is. This news article will explain the biology and nature of Fern Pit Cave.


Fern Pit Cave is known for having massive amounts fern growing both the inside and outside perimeters. Fern grows on the western portion of this cave. Fern can be found growing inside of this cave. The outside perimeter of Fern Pit Cave is surrounded by many oak trees, cedar breaks, and fern. This cave is entirely hollow with only plants growing inside.

Fern Pit Cave leads to other pits in the 52-acre preserve of the Four Points HCP. Fern Pit Cave has a depth of 27 meters. The total depth of Fern Pit Cave is 28 meters. (Ref: https://digital.lib.usf.edu/SFS0055019/00001)

Tooth Cave ground beetles and Bone Cave harvestman have been confirmed to inhabit Fern Pit. It is confirmed that Fern Pit ground beetles and/or Bone Cave harvestman are within the 52-acre preserve of the Four Points HCP. However no endangered cave invertebrates inhabit or occupy Fern Pit Cave. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/​HCP_TPGFourPoints_19951113.pdf)

“[t]his area contains a total of five caves (Owl Eyes, Japygid, Eluvial, Fernpit,
M.W.A. and Jollyville) known to be inhabited by Tooth Cave ground beetle
(four caves) and/or Bone Cave harvestman (three caves).”

Fern Pit Cave is located next to Eluvial Cave and MWA Cave as Fern Pit Cave is located on the same preserve as those caves. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/​HCP_TPGFourPoints_19951113.pdf)


Below is the history of Fern Pit Cave.


Fern Pit Cave was owned by a man named R. Ribelin and was part of his ranch which was Ribelin Ranch for many years. R. Ribelin claimed ownership of Fern Pit Cave along with his massive ranch. (Ref: Travis County Land Deeds, Volume 9326, Page 1)

Lucia R. Francis and R. Ribelin transferred ownership of Fern Pit Cave to Ribelin Ranch in 1985 on a warranty deed. R. Ribelin had established Ribelin Ranch as a limited partnership called Ribelin Ranch Partnership LTD earlier in 1984. (Ref: Travis County Land Deeds, Volume 9326, Page 1)

Mike Warton, Jim Griffin, Dave Wymer, Ernie Wymer, and T. Blashill discovered Fern Pit Cave on the date of December 9, 1972. While exploring, they discovered Fern Pit Cave leads to other pits. Mike Warton mapped the depth of Fern Pit Cave which was 27 meters. (Ref: https://digital.lib.usf.edu/SFS0055019/00001)

Travis County acquired ownership of Fern Pit Cave in 1993. Travis County sold the land Fern Pit Cave was located on to WB Joint Ventures in 1994. Fern Pit Cave then belonged to WB Joint Ventures. WB Joint Ventures would own this cave for a few years with the intentions of creating a preserve. Now Fern Pit Cave was rediscovered in 1994 by Mike Warton and an SWCA cave biologist in 1994. They were making biota collections. However they could not navigate through all of Fern Pit Cave due to the massive overgrown ferns preventing entry. (Ref: USFWS, 1994a)

Fern Pit Cave was visited again by an SWCA cave biologist on April 11, 1995 for the purpose of making biota collections. Remaining features were considered insignificant with respect to endangered cave invertebrates. Now this SWCA cave biologist discovered that Fern Pit Cave is known to be inhabited by Tooth Cave ground beetles and Bone Cave harvestman. However no endangered cave invertebrates were found in Fern Pit Cave. (Ref: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/HCP_TPGFourPoints_19951113.pdf)

WB Joint Ventures and Parke Properties transferred ownership of the property to TPG Four Points Land, L.P. in 1999 on warranty deed. (Ref: https://americanstewards.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Petition-to-Delist-Texella-reyesi-1.pdf)

However a correction deed was issued in the year of 2011 due to an erroneous mistake made on the surveyor’s part from human error. The deed listed Travis County as owner of the property instead of TPG Four Points Land. This deed gave full ownership to TPG Four Points Land, L.P. (Ref: Travis County Land Deeds, #2011085564)

TPG Four Points Land, L.P. is the current owner of Fern Pit Cave. Today Fern Pit Cave is privately owned and managed by TPG Four Points Land and BCP.

Fern Pit Cave is located at 7502 River Place Boulevard, Austin, Texas, US 78726.