In November 1974, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts were exploring the limestone hills at the eastern base of the Whetstone Mountains. They were looking “for a cave no one had ever found” and found it. The two kept the cave a secret until February 1978 when they told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their awesome discovery. Since unprotected caves can be seriously damaged by unregulated use, they knew the cave had to be protected. Tenen and Tufts spent several years looking into the possibility of developing the cave themselves. Some members of the Kartchner family lived in Tucson and were very impressed with the development and operation of Catalina State Park by Arizona State Parks. They decided to approach State Parks to see if the agency was interested in acquiring this outstanding resource.
Explore Kartchner Caverns
Join Kartchner Caverns, an International Dark Sky Park, for a star party! This program offers daytime solar viewing, a presentation on protecting our dark skies as well as night sky viewing through high-powered telescopes.
READ MOREKartchner Caverns invites you to join us for a nighttime walk in the park to learn about bats! Guests will see and hear bats interacting within their natural environment while learning about the diversity of these awesome flying mammals. Registration required.
READ MOREDiscovery Center
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thanksgiving: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Christmas Eve: 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Christmas: Closed
Per vehicle (1 person): $10.00
Per vehicle (2-4 people): $20.00
Individual/bicycle: $5.00
Cave tour tickets are extra. Park entrance fee is waived with cave tour and campsite reservations.
(520) 586-4100
2980 S Hwy 90
Benson, AZ 85602
9 mi. South of Benson on Hwy 90
