Kartchner Caverns

Kartchner Caverns State Park

The first clue that Kartchner Caverns State Park was going to be a stand alone experience was

that we couldn't bring cameras, jackets, packs, or water bottles into the caverns.  That was just the beginning.

We didn't plan on going to Kartchner Caverns.  Our neighbors in the campsite next to ours went and said they loved it.  So we decided to follow suit.

We didn't realize that the Cavern tours filled up quickly.  And they were filling up even more quickly than normal because it was spring break.

We called for reservations mid-morning, as we pulled out of our Benson campsite.  The first and only spots available were at 4:30pm, on the last tour of the day.  We were scheduled to arrive before noon.  We could fit in a stop at Fort Verde Historic State park, or we could move leisurely through our day.  We decided we'd go on a hike, have a picnic lunch, and explore the exhibit in the meantime.

I'll be honest.  The boys weren't too happy about the hiking part.  This was before we moved to Utah in the summer, when we thought 80 degrees was hot.

It wasn't a terribly exciting hike, but it did mark a couple of firsts for us.  First, and most importantly, we didn't get lost.  And second, we finished the hike.

We made certain to allow time for congratulating ourselves at the snack shop.

The boys enjoyed a prickly pear smoothie as their reward.

By the time it was our turn for the tour, we were half ready to go home.  We carted ourselves out there, sat down, and began to listen to the tale of its discovery.

The discovery of Kartchner Caverns and its journey to becoming an Arizona State Park is a captivating one.  We were soon energized and incredulous about its chance discovery and evolution to become a highly protected Arizona State Park.

The short story is that a couple of college students, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, stumbled upon the caverns in the 1960's when they were out exploring.  They understood the enormity of what they'd discovered and kept it secret for a number of years in order to explore and preserve its integrity.  

A few years in, they decided to reveal to the Kartchner family, who owned the property, what they'd discovered.  They took the family through the very small openings and crawl spaces that they used to get inside.  One of the openings was so small that when they first discovered it, that the young men had to lay on their stomachs for two hours making it just wide enough to squeeze through without their belts on and sucking in their bellies.

After another number of years, Tenen, Tufts, and the Kartchner family decided that they only way to really preserve the cavern in its pristine condition was to get the state involved.  How they did that is a marvel unto itself, and truly a testament to the power of following your heart, truth, and the willingness to act.

Kartchner Caverns is protected by stipulations the young men integrated into the negotiations to transfer the property from the Kartchner family to the state.  That it will be preserved into the foreseeable future is entirely to the credit of the Kartchner family and especially the stewardship of Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts.

If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a visit.