Kartchner Caverns

Today we toured the Kartchner Caverns here in Benson Arizona. Sorry, No pictures (See post cards link to the left). They don't alow camars inside. All I got to say is, WOW! There is absolutely nothing I can say nor pictures I can show you that captures the AWESOMENESS of these caverns. As we sit here in out living room and look out our large window at the beautiful desert landscape with the mountains in the background and the rolling hills in the foreground, it is totally unbelievable that such caverns exists under those hills. We were so inspired by the 1st of 2 tours that we immediately booked the second one for tomorrow morning. This is a “Live” cavern which means it is still evolving. You have to walk through a number of air locks and a mist tunnel so as not to disturb the ecosystem of the caverns. Once inside of the caverns you immediately notice the 70 degree, 99% humidity climate that is constant anytime of the year. When the tour guide stops talking, you can hear the water dripping from the numerous formations inside the caverns. It is hard to keep in mind that this is real and not a Disney creation. This is not only a MUST SEE when you pass through this area but a MUST GO TO destination.

Kartchner Caverns were discovered by 2 college students from Tucson Arizona. They were cavers (spelunkers) and were told that there were caves in the area. For several years they kept coming back to the same location every weekend, looking for more while going to school. In 1974 the a sink hole opened up and they knew they had found something big. The cavern was exhaling from the carbon dioxide that had been inside for many years. They had troubles keeping there carbide lanterns from blowing out as they entered the cavern. It took them 400 feet of digging and crawling to finally enter into the Big Room. They knew it was a living cavern and kept it a secret to preserve it for 4 years as they explored and mapped the caverns. Finally in 1978 they told the owners of the property, The Katchners, what they had discovered, showed them slides and convinced them they have to preserve it. It took another 10 years to convinced the State of Arizona the importance of this find. The state purchased the property from the Katchners for 1.9 million dollars, which is a bargain for what they got. Another 10 years after studying the effects of humans and constructing paths and adding lighting, the Caverns were opened to the public.