Kartchner Caverns

Our tour of Kartchner Caverns was well worth the wait and the story of their discovery is fascinating.  In 1974, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts were exploring the limestone hills in the Whetstone Mountains.  They were looking "for a cave no one had ever found" and found it.  The two explored the cave in secret for over two years.  They realized that they had found a true treasure and that it needed to be protected.  In 1978 they contacted the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about the discovery.  Since unprotected caves can be seriously damaged by unregulated use, they knew the cave had to be protected. Late in 1984, Randy Tufts met with the Arizona State Parks office to present the site for consideration for future acquisition as a State Park.  On April 27, 1988, after years of secret negotiations with the state the bill authorizing the new state park was signed.

The caverns are located under these hills.

When developing the caverns they visited other caverns around the world asking the management what works, what they would have done differently, and any other recommendations. The development of the caverns cost over $28 million and is fully wheelchair accessible. Kartchner Caverns is now regarded as state of the art and other caverns come to them for advice.

Cameras, phones, backpacks, and purses are not allowed in the cavern.  You enter through an airlock chamber and are misted to reduce dust, lint and hair in the cavern. You are cautioned not to touch anything but the railings and if you accidentally touch or brush against one of the formations you must tell the guide so it can be flagged for the nightly cleanup crew to wash it down.

I have included some pictures of the caverns taken from the Arizona State Parks site since cameras are not allowed.

There are two tours the Rotunda/Throne Tour (which we took) and the Big Room Tour.  The Big Room is only open from mid-October to mid-April.  The rest of the year the Big Room serves as a nursery for a colony of bats. The tour was fascinating and I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in southern Arizona.

Today's 3 Fun Facts:

1. Over 200 bats will cling to the ceiling in only one square foot of area.
2. The cave is a constant 72 degrees and 99% humidity.
3. Patience and perseverance can certainly be rewarded.