Camping At Kartchner Caverns
Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona, is about an hour away from Tucson. Our son lived in Tucson several years ago and suggested we visit. It is the newest, most modern State Park we have seen in our travels and we had a perfect spot just a few feet from the bathhouse. There were sidewalks everywhere with prickly pear and barrel cacti and mesquite trees for landscaping. Very pretty! Below is a link to the park.
https://azstateparks.com/kartchner
While we were there, the weather was pleasant in the daytime and not very cold at night. We really liked having such a modern bathhouse so near. The park has restrooms, showers, and a dump station, but no sewer or laundry. Our site was $35, a little high for a state park, but worth it.
The countryside around Kartchner is very beautiful and the sky was so blue!
We had reservations for a cave tour early the next morning. Reservations are recommended and we had booked them on line the day before.
Kartchner Caverns Cave Tour
The cave tours begin at the Discovery Center and then a tram takes you up the mountain. The tour was very interesting with cave formations resembling curtains, bacon, and columns. Two young men discovered the caverns in the 1970s but they kept it secret for many years. Consequently, the structure around it is relatively new.
It was cold in the early morning and we wore coats to the Discovery Center, but the cave was 70 degrees with 99% humidity and too warm to keep them on.
The tours last about 90 minutes and photos are not allowed. They are strict about visitors not touching the formations as well because the cave is still growing and touching can cause harm.
Conclusion
We came back to the campsite and cooked breakfast before heading out.
Kartchner was a leisurely break for us. The park features beautiful views, friendly camp hosts, immaculate facility, and the caverns for entertainment.
If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows to the post.
Next stop Tucson!