Quietly nested beneath the Sonoran desert is a 550 acre wet limestone cave that came into limelight in the recent past. This natural wonder is located about 50 miles from Tucson and has become one of the leading tourist attractions in Arizona.

The Kartchner Caverns State Park is also home for hollow formations, flowstone, colorful mineral deposits and most importantly a 58 foot tall massive limestone column. This park is open round the year except for major holidays and ticket prices also vary depending on the season you choose to visit this place.

Usually limited numbers of people are allowed through this cave each day. Moreover since the prices are pretty affordable ($8.5 to $12.95 for adult), these tour spots tend to get filled up quickly so make sure you book your tickets well in advance.

The Kartchner Caverns State Park Tucson offers two kinds of tours for all its visitors, The Throne/Rotunda tour and the Big Room tour. The duration of both these tours varies from half an hour to one hour where visitors need to walk a distance of half mile led by a tour guide.

The Throne tour features Arizona's largest column formation and highlights the two giant limestone rooms in the caverns. While the Big Room tour is only few years old and visitors get to see colorful limestone formation and learn about bats and history of Caverns caves.

Visitors would experience darkness and lots of humidity inside these caves where echo of dripping water resounds the caves ancient limestone walls and moist air enjoys undisturbed slumber. This cave is completely closed from outside except for small fissures and has an average temperature of 68 degrees and humidity levels of 99%.

The other features of this park include picnic area, shaded dining area, vending machines, amphitheatre, campgrounds, hiking and walking trails and Humming bird garden. Hence this is perfect way to explore the land and its natural riches.

If you are planning your tour in Southern Arizona with family, then Kartchner Caverns is one of the must see tour you can ever have to make. Kartchner Caverns is located in the amazing Kartchner Caverns State Park and was discovered recently in 1974. It is the most spectacular limestone cave about 2 and a 1/2 mile long beneath the Chihuahuan Desert in South Eastern Arizona. This 13,000 foot cave is bursting with attention-grabbing passages and was opened for public tour in 1999.

Once you visit the caverns you will be startled to know how the calcites were formed and see the stalactites that are dripping down just as icicles. You will also enjoy the view of the giant stalagmites that is touching the ground. Enjoy the family tour of about 1 1/2 hour and see this mesmerizing underground landscape and make your trip to the Kartchner Caverns State Park a memorable one.

Get More Information about the Kartchner Caverns of Arizona at AZ State Park

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html

Know More about How to Visit the Famous Kartchner Caverns an Excellent Family Vacation Ideas at Tucsona Asap

http://www.tucsonasap.com/karchner-caverns.html

Some of the essentially interesting features of the Kartchner caverns are as follows:

- The Discovery Center is fully loaded with exhibits of cave exploration, and information of inhabitants of the cave as well as the biology of general cave life.

- The Rotunda is a huge gallery where you can see the gigantic columnar shaped Kubla Kahn formation that was formed millions of years with the melting and formation of stalagmite and stalactite.

- The Electric Tram is another attraction which takes the visitors all through the large airlock, the central entrance of the cavern.

- The Throne Room where you will catch the sight of sparkling crystal cathedral formations.

In Kartchner Caverns, you will be able to see the longest soda straw stalactites of the world which is about 21 feet and 3 inches. You will also catch the sight of the tallest and gigantic column of Arizona, called Kubla Khan which is about 58 feet tall. Both these features are seen in the Throne Room.

While you visit the Big room you will catch the sight of the massive brushite moonmilk formation and the str2turnipstr2 shields. Further you will have an interesting sight of the quartz formations and many curious and bizarre formations like the totems, rimstone dams and the helictites.

The park officials are profoundly dedicated to defend these flimsy caverns and touching the cave formations are strictly prohibited and violators are rigorously fined and put on trial. The park gates opens to the tourist at 7:00 a.m. and closes at at 6:00 p.m.

Comprehensive Guide to Kartchner Caverns, Arizona at Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park

Know More to Enjoy the Beauty of Kartchner Caverns at AZ PBS

http://www.azpbs.org/wildaz/caverns/cavern.html

Kartchner Caverns State Park contains the world's most naturally occurred block of Palaeozoic rocks. The Kartchner Caverns are about forty two miles away from Tucson. These rocks have history as ancient as fifty thousand years and are carefully maintained by the state park's employees. The cave passages are about three miles long and will keep you busy with the very famous attractions of the park, Big Room and Echo Passage.

Apart from the Kartchner Caverns, there are many more attractions in the southern parts of Arizona, which includes the Vega Bray observatory; it is about ten miles away from the Kartchner Caverns. The observatory has an astronomer and you need to take an appointment prior to your visit, in order to arrange a session with the astronomer.

There are other attractions like the Tombstone Courthouse, Picacho Park, Roper Lake and the Patagonia Lake. The Tombstone Courthouse is a preservation of the 19th century county court, which is a two storied Gothic building and has been registered as one of the national historic places by the US government. Patagonia Lake is ideal for fishing, hiking and camping enthusiasts. This place is probably one of those must visit places in Southern Arizona and will be a wonderful experience for you. A scenic drive along the Coronado Trial is also a very good idea to spend some time with nature, away from the hustle of the city life.

Tombstone Courthouse Website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_Courthouse_State_Historic_Park

Patagonia Lake, Arizona

http://www.patagonia-lake.com/

You will find some of the finest Tucson boutique hotels which are a little farther, yet reachable from Kartchner Caverns. The best boutique hotel nearby is The Westin La Paloma Spa & Resort in Tucson. The atmosphere within the resort is really mesmerizing and the services are simply sweet. The Arizona Inn another luxury hotel that provides excellent service and there are several restaurants in the area, which will taunt your taste buds.

Arizona Inn Website

http://www.arizonainn.com/

The Westin La Paloma Official Site

http://www.westinlapalomaresort.com/

Arizona has plenty of beautiful sites even though this state is recognized as one of the desert place in the United States. On the southern part of Arizona there is a place that you should not miss to visit when you are in a tour or vacation, this is the Katchner Caverns. This place offers an exceptional look of unspoiled aspects like soda straws, stalagmites, stalactites, columns and curtains. It seizes unique attributes and stone formations. At Katchner Caverns, your group will be given an orientation chat about what to do inside the place. This is considered as a must see tour in the state.

About the tour inside the park, it is much better that you should make a reservation prior to your visiting in the park. There is a reservation fee which includes the cave tour fee and entrance fee. The entire tours are directed by the trained guide whom a mixture of different tours listed on a daily basis. Aim to arrive at least an hour prior to your tour time. You have to familiarize yourself with their extremely important Cave Tour Rules.

For the reservation and purchase of tickets you can call their landline from 8am to 5pm. Reservations are extremely suggested for all tours. If your ticket is not reserve beforehand they will sell it on a first-come, first-served basis. Buying of tickets can be made through your Mastercard or Visa. You will be presented with a confirmation number after reservations are completed. You can show your confirmation number to the Front desk upon arrival in the park.

Kartchner Caverns State Park as One of the Parks in Arizona

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html

Kartchner Caverns State Park At About.com

http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/arizonamenu/a/azkartchner.htm

Katchner Caverns State Park Admissions

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/kartchner-information.html

Cave Tour Information

http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/tour_info.html

If you do not want to do reservations then you must at least know the operating hours of the Tucson park. It is open daily from 7:30 in the morning up to 6:00 in the afternoon. The Cave tours are open everyday at 8:10 in the morning until 4:40 in the afternoon. Bear in mind that this cave tour is scheduled every after 20 minutes.

Kartchner Caverns State Park Open Hours

http://www.desertusa.com/azkartchner/

If you love caverns, the place in Tucson right for you must be Kartchner Caverns, the newest state park in Arizona. Rated as one of top 10 most beautiful caves throughout the world, this park is really an awesome wonderland of the still-growing stalactites and stalagmites, which not only grow down from the ceiling, but also up from the ground. Kartchner Caverns offers a rare look at the caves with unspoiled features and colorful formations, welcoming visitors year-round with two types of guided tours-Rotunda/Throne Room Tour and Big Room Tour.

Kartchner Caverns Home Page

http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/

This 13000 limestone cave was discovered by two young explorers in 1974, and for a better conservation and protection of this natural landmark, a dedicated state park was created in 1988. As a wet, beautiful living cave with such a storied history of discovery, Kartchner Caverns draws numerous visitors each year and a visit to this stunning cave has become a tradition in Tucson. If you have planned a trip to the city, do make time for an underground exploration in Kartchner Caverns.

For the sake of your convenience, we will pack you with an informative guide on the park's location, direction and more. Have a check and turn your trip into a hassle-free one.

Kartchner Caverns State Park is located 9 miles south of Benson town and about 4.9 miles southeast from Tucson. Interstate 10 runs 9 miles nearby and AZ-90 stretches in front of the park entrance. In addition, the international border between the United States and Mexico stands about 65 miles away. The official address of this natural wonder is:

Kartchner Caverns State Park

2980 S Hwy 90

Benson, AZ 85602

Following is Kartchner Caverns State Park's location on Google Maps. You can take advantage of this map to pave your way, or use MapQuest to find the park by yourself.

Kartchner Caverns Locator Map

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/map.html

MapQuest

http://www.mapquest.com/

Would you like to drive your way to the park and admire the landscaped views throughout the journey? Actually, Kartchner Caverns is very easy to navigate by vehicles, for the fact that I-10 and AZ-90 just run nearby, putting the park in a very convenient transportation network. You can enter the following numbers into your GPS device and get the driving directions directly.

Longitude: W 110 20.621

Latitude: N 31 50.134

If you have no GPS device, you can refer to the website below. Open this website and enter your starting location in the "From" blank space, or the full mailing address or the zip code. Choose the language you use, and then click "Get Directions." Finally you will get a step-by-step direction guide to Kartchner Caverns State Park.

Driving Directions

http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/map_driving.html

For the sake of your convenience, we have listed the directions to the park from Tucson, including Flowing Wells, Casas Adobes, South Tucson and Davis-Mountain AFB:

- Take I-10 E and head east

- Take the AZ-90 S exit / Exit 302 towards Huachuca City / Sierra Vista

- Turn right onto AZ-90 S

- Proceed on AZ-90 S and the park's entrance is on your right side

If you have any question about the park's location and directions, please contact Kartchner Caverns at (520) 586-4100.

Kartchner Caverns State Park in Southern Arizona features a show cave boasting 13,000 feet of passages. The stunning and pristine limestone cave with world-class features has been protected since its discovery in 1974. Kartchner Caverns is rated one of top 10 most beautiful caves throughout the world. It's a fantastic wonderland of stalactites and stalagmites that are still growing beneath the Whetstone Mountains, located 40 miles southeast of Tucson.

The living cave measures approximately 2.4 miles long and has two rooms, featuring as long as a football field. The whole cave encompasses about 7 acres. The cave was finally made public as a state park in 1998, offering visitors a rare tour through multi-colored cave formations. Just come and enjoy its wonders by yourself.

In additional to the wondrous cave in the park, many educational exhibits are on display in the park, such as interactive displays, a replica of the cave and a documentary video. Hiking trails, shaded picnic areas and vending areas are abundant in the state park. Well, Kartchner Caverns is a must-see destination in Southern Arizona.

Homepage of Kartchner Caverns State Park

http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/index.html

Now visitors can have access to the two major features of the caverns: the Throne Room and the Big Room. As the temperature inside the cavern averages 72° Fahrenheit with 99% humidity year round, guests can feel very warm and steamy for the cave tours all year around. Two seasonal tours are open to the public currently.

- Rotunda/Throne Tour

Rotunda/Throne tours are available through October 9, 2011 and will be closed from October 10 to December 14, 2011. The tour will reopen on December 15, 2011. This tour has been open to the public since 1999. The whole tour is half of a mile in length and takes about 90 minutes to complete. During the tour, you may spend 50 minutes underground.

You can discover one of the world's longest soda straw stalactites in the Throne Room. Find out the important role that water plays in creating the wonderful caverns. The tour will lead you to explore the discoverer's original trail, 45,000-year-old bat guano and diverse formations, including the largest column formation in Arizona-Kubla Khan.

- Big Room Tour

Big Room has been open to visitors for tours since 2003. As it's a nursery roost for more than 1,000 cave bats, it's closed for several months during the summer. Big Room tours are closed from April 16 through October 14, 2011. The tour will re-open October 15, 2011. Generally, Big Room tours are available from mid-October to mid-April on a daily basis.

Big Room tours are half a mile long in length and it takes you one hour and 45 minutes to complete the exploration. With the world's most extensive formation of brushite moonilk, Big Room tours invite you to explore various strange and colorful formations, offering a unique opportunity for visitors to lean more about the cave fauna, both ancient and living. You won't believe your eyes as you can experience the magic of the cave's discovery, including the most recent scientific research and discoveries. Please note that Big Room Tours are not open to children less than 7 years of age.

What about the tour times? Kartchner Caverns State Park is open from 7:30 am to 6 pm, Monday through Sunday. Cave tours are available every 20 minutes. The first daily tour starts at 8:40 am and the last daily tour is 4:40 pm. No tours are open on Christmas Day and you cannot take any tour after noon on Christmas Eve Day.

You may be worried about the pricy cave tour admissions. Both Rotunda/Throne and Big Room Tours only cost $22.95 for adults. Youth between 7 and 13 years of age enjoy discounted tour prices of $12.95. Children under 7 years old can enjoy free tours with a paying adult. To ensure availability, reservations are highly recommended for all tours.

Reservations can be made online 24 hours a day. Or you can call 520-586-2283 seven days a week, from 8 am to 5 pm (Mountain Standard Time). Reserved tickets need to be picked up at the park on your tour day. You need to present your reservation receipt to the park for tickets.

Unreserved tickets will be sold at the park on a first-come, first-served basis every day. These tickets usually sell out early and quickly. There's no guarantee for available tickets on any given day. When a tour has 4 or less people on it, your tour will be rescheduled for the next available tour.

Note:

1) Try to get to the park at least 1 hour prior to your tour time. But if you're booking both tours on the same day, make sure to leave at least 2 hours between tour start times for a break. If you prefer to take a better and longer break between tours, enjoy a picnic lunch or have a relaxing meal at the Bat Cave Cafe.

2) If your young children become frightened or uncomfortable in the cave environment, parents are allowed to leave the tour with the child for their safety and well being. To avoid such instances, strollers and backpack carriers are not allowed on the tours. Most infants cannot tolerate the cave environment very well. If you have any further concerns, please inquire upon check-in.

3) Various items are not permitted while on tour, like handbags, backpacks or other bags, binoculars or flashlights, photography or video equipment, foods & drinks, touching or damaging formations and littering or tossing coins. You can leave all items in your vehicle or in the lockers, which are available on the rear patio of the Discover Center. All you need to bring on tour is a coat or jacket appropriate to the outside weather.

Kartchner Caverns also welcomes school & group tours. All school and group tours are allowed at least 3 hours for the entire park experience, including a cave tour, a walk through the Discovery Center and enjoyment of beautiful outdoor scenery. Before your scheduled tour to the park, make sure to review some guidelines for school groups.

- One adult must accompany every 7 children while taking a cave tour. It means that a ratio of 1 Chaperone for each 7 students is essential.

- Teachers/Chaperones take charge of the behavior of each student during the whole visit.

- Teachers and chaperons are required to stay with the assigned students at all times on tour.

- If the assigned students have to leave the cave ahead of schedule, the chaperone will have to exit the cave with them.

- While in the caverns, inside voices and library voices are encouraged. Be respectful around other tour groups.

Reservations are recommended to guarantee the availability of a tour. Group reservations can be made up to a year prior to the tour time. No pre-scheduled tours are open on weekends. To make a reservation, please call the reservation number at 520-586-CAVE. If you're school group planners, you can make arrangements for your groups with a specialized phone reservation attendant.

Any group planners cannot make more than 6 tour reservation each phone call. No more than 12 Rotunda/Throne Tours or 4 Big Room Tours each day are allowed per phone call. Please call to make reservations between 8 am to 5 pm any day in a week. A tour confirmation letter will be mailed to you. Group tickets can be picked up at the "will call counter" one hour before the scheduled tour time.For more group tours info, please check out the following website.

School & Group Tours

http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/school.html

To make Kartchner Caverns reservations, you can call their reservation line at (520) 586-2283 or their information line at (520) 586-4100. You can also drop by the park for direct inquiries. They are located at Hwy 90. Benson, AZ 85602 or you can mail them at P.O. Box 1849, Benson, AZ 85602.

What to see in Kartchner Caverns?

The Kartchner Caverns is a very popular attraction in Tucson because of the uniqueness of the cave. It has the world's longest soda straw stalactites seen at the Throne room. It also has the most massive and the tallest column in Arizona. It has beautiful and impressive formations of brushite moonmilk, which is a rare type of stalactites. You can also find turnips and birsnest needle quartz formations that are truly amazing. You would also be awed at different unique formations in the cave such as rim stone dams, shields, totems and helictites.

If you want a tour to Kartchner Caverns, you can call your travel agent and ask for Tucson hotel deals that may include a trip to this park. You can also check out online packages that come with the Kartchner Cavern tour.

More information about Kartchner Caverns

http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/

Reviews of Kartchner Caverns

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31170-d127212-Reviews-Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park-Benson_Arizona.html

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2809956-kartchner_caverns_state_park_tucson-i

http://www.epinions.com/reviews/park-Parks-All-AZ-Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park

For those who love camping, there are a number of campgrounds for camping at and near the Kartchner Caverns State Park. A few of them are mentioned below.

Kartchner Caverns State Park Camping

http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/KACA/facilities.html

A 2 loop campground with 62 camping sites is located on the southwest end of the Kartchner Caverns State Park. For camping you have to arrive here between 7 am and 6 pm before the closure of the park. The fee for camping is $ 22 per night and the maximum days you can stay at the campgrounds is 14 days. All the camping sites of the park are electric hook up sites and none of the sites are designated for dry camping. You can use the sites for tent camping and non electrical camping but have to pay the full fee of camping. All the campsites at the park come with water, showers, restrooms, dump stations and flush toilets. The Kartchner Caverns State Park also has 3 handicap designated campsites with paved accessibility, a paved pad, wheelchair accessible table and adjacent rest rooms.

Camping at Red Barn Campground

http://www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/100846.html

The Red Barn Campground at Benson is located very close to the Kartchner Caverns State Park. While camping at this campground you can have a great hiking adventure on Heartbreak Ridge Trail or play golf at the San Pedro Golf Course.

Patagonia Lake State Park Camping

http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/PALA/index.html

The Patagonia Lake State Park located at an hours driving distance form the Kartchner Caverns State Park has fishing, boating, swimming, picnic and camping facilities. The campground at this park overlooks a man made lake of 265 acres where you can catch bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill. The campground also has boat in campsites, showers, restrooms and a dump station.

Hotels Nearby

For accommodations near the camping sites, several hotels in Tucson are located nearby. Some of them include the Holiday Inn Express located 2.3 miles from Kartchner Caverns State Park and Motel 6 located 2.4 miles from the Kartchner Caverns State Park.

http://realtravel.com/a-258315-benson_attraction-kartchner_caverns_state_park