I would suggest going to Big Bend only in the winter and not in the spring because the visibility should be better.
If you have a busy schedule and/or are an experienced caver I would suggest that you not get anywhere
near the caving tours. For example.
I signed up for the Spider Cave tour that was advertised at 4 hours. They tell you that they need 4 AA
batteries; but they really only need 3 [don't bring NiMH ones like I did because the you must keep sets
of 2 or 4 at the same state of charge]. Then you find out that it takes 30 min. to assemble everyone,
go thru the safety stuff, hand out helmets etc etc. Then you drive to the site [on the scenic drive
so that you get to spend 45 min. on a gravel road at 10 mph]. Then you hike to the cave.
By then you will have noticed that your group is full of people who have never been in a cave and
they're as slow as can be and so you always end up waiting. Numerous times along the caving the
Ranger will sit everyone down and give you some info / history. Then there is the darn, daft, I've
done this on every tour 5 min. bit where they turn out all lights. No, Mr. Ranger, I'm not going
to fall over if I stand during the dark out; only the lights are being turned off, not gravity.
All in all, you'll spend perhaps 1 hour moving in the cave; another 30 min. waiting and the rest of the time is spent assembling and going to / from the cave. Basically I lost an entire day of hiking for 1 hour in a cave; and that was the most "strenuous" cave tour that they had. It was in no way the least bit strenuous.
For the fun of it approach them about walking up the natural entrance and out of the cave (from the Big Room). They will give you all sorts of warnings about how it will take over an hour and is very "strenuous". It's only a 1 mile hike up an 800' paved trail! If you know how to walk it will take you about 20 min; 30 at most.
I'd like to say that it was very nice that they let the cavers try to find their way out of Spider Cave. It's not as difficult as it sounds as there is plenty of red tape that confines where you are supposed to stay and all the way to the end the Ranger identifies unique features to help you guide yourself.
The Left Hand Room and King's Palace Tours were very short and I only suggest them in the following way:
You make a day of hiking the Natural Entrance and Big Room [took me 3 hours and I was shooting 2 rolls
of film with most shots on a tripod taking 30+ seconds each]. Before that you should go on the Left
Hand Room Tour and after that [3pm] do the King's Palace Tour. The Kings Palace Tour starts in the
cave so it dovetails with having just explored the Big Room. The tours are short and slow [makes it
possible to get pictures on a tripod].
