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Kartchner Caverns
Overview
Kartchner Caverns State Park offers a unique opportunity to camp alongside one of the world's best-preserved living limestone caves. Located in the high desert of Southern Arizona, the park provides a serene atmosphere for RVers looking to immerse themselves in natural history. The campground is meticulously maintained, serving as a gateway to the stunning underground formations that have made this destination famous worldwide.
Location & Surroundings
Nestled in the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains near Benson, AZ, the park sits at an elevation that offers slightly cooler temperatures than the nearby low deserts. The surrounding landscape is characterized by classic Chihuahuan Desert beauty, featuring ocotillo, mesquite, and prickly pear. Visitors often enjoy expansive desert vistas and incredible dark skies that make evening stargazing a highlight of every stay.
Amenities & Park Features
The campground is well-equipped for modern rigs, offering paved pull-through and back-in sites with water and 30/50-amp electric hookups. Each site includes a picnic table and a fire ring for traditional campouts. On-site facilities are top-tier, including modern restrooms with hot showers and a conveniently located dump station. The Discovery Center nearby provides an educational hub with exhibits on the cave's delicate ecosystem.
Nearby Attractions & Things to Do
The primary draw is the guided cavern tours, where visitors see massive stalactites and the world's longest soda straw formations. Hikers can explore the Guindani Trail or the Foothills Trail for scenic mountain views right from the campground. For those venturing further, the historic town of Tombstone and the Chiricahua National Monument are within a reasonable driving distance, making the park an excellent home base for regional exploration.
Who This Park Is Best For
This park is ideal for nature lovers and families who appreciate a quiet, educational environment over a bustling resort scene. It is a perfect fit for RVers who prioritize clean facilities and access to outdoor recreation. If you enjoy wildlife viewing and geological wonders, this high-desert retreat offers a peaceful experience that balances comfort with the raw beauty of the Arizona wilderness.
Amenities
- Policies
- Other Amenities & Services
- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)
- Discounts
- Facility
- On-Site Rentals
- Sites
User Reviews
Shari Brewster
The cave tour was so amazing. It’s important to remember to see this cave you have to follow strict instructions to protect the cavern that is possibly the most beautiful and amazing thing on this planet. The story of how it became is very interesting. Take the tour you will love it as long as you appreciate nature. There is a small botanical garden in front of the center. There is a gift shop and small cafe that serves sandwiches. There is campground there that is quite nice. It’s kept up quite nicely. They have water and electric for your camper, a dump station and bathrooms equipped for handicapped. The bathrooms are kept up but needs updating. The only con I can come up with is that the bathrooms are so very cold I don’t see how anyone could possibly take a shower in such a cold room and the bed thing in the shower is so far away from the shower head that I don’t think it’s usable. Hiking the trails around the cavern was nice. I definitely recommend trip to the Kartchner Caverns.
Jacquie Lupro
No photos allowed inside, but that honestly made it even better. Kartchner Caverns is unlike anything I’ve ever seen — a state-of-the-art facility protecting one of the most beautiful natural spaces I’ve ever stepped into. Being inside the Earth like that… it’s humbling and breathtaking all at once. Must see!
Mark “and Tami” Longfield
One of, if not the best State Park in the system. The cave tours are excellent. The campground is top notch with well spaced sights. The surrounding area is rich in historical sites, and the Sonoita opportunities for food (The Copper Brothelbrew pub), wine, and distilleries is a great adult day trip. And, the incredible Empire Ranch is also near Sonoita. Wildlife opportunities are abundant both summer and winter. We really enjoy White Water Draw in the winter to see 10's of thousands of Sandhill Cranes. So, its just not the cave and campgrounds - there is a vast area to explore.
Margaret Brandwein
Site 44 (ours) was very unlevel/ 6” leveling ramps still was not enough! Website should apply this info on each space; take the time to do so! We left early because of this and no refunds! Website gives no idea if level or need super high lifters; awful! I have vertigo so it was not fun. Unless you personally go to rv park and chk each one, you may get one like ours that is more than 6” off! Be prepared. Campsite is clean, shower water is hot but hubby says in mens bathroom toilet paper rolls are in a “ weird place so legs are catiwompass while sitting”…. Odd they would do that. $50 a night tho makes it hard to wanna go back. Nice views of mountains and they have a loop for hiking so that is nice. The unleveled lots make this hard to come back to not knowing if you choose online a decent spot… in pics they all look level. Beware! No one expects more than 6 inches!!!!! Also do not drink the water or use for cooking. Had brown , gray water with sediment come out. Use bottled water for cooking or drinking or coffee!
Rick
This is a nice park, plenty of hiking trails, not far from tombstone and Sierra vista. Cave is cool but not much else to do except hang out . Spots are big and lots of privacy so you can let it all hang out if you like, after dark gets interesting careful where you look you might get an eye full, just because Rv windows are tinted real dark doesn’t mean you can’t see through them at night especially if your inside lights are on. So bring your cards or Yahtzee or board games. Leave your inhibitions at home. No judgement here.
Anita Murcko
Majestic & otherworldly! We were extra fortunate to get spots on the monthly photography tour. Even the visitors center is beautifully designed, starting with the fascinating discovery and development story in a lovely amphitheater. Each staff member was genuinely proud of their part in the visitor experience - warm, friendly and knowledgeable. Can’t wait to return and share this special place with our visiting family and friends!
Marion Browne
Great experience on our cave tour today! Our guide Rich was knowledgeable and funny! It was great to learn about the history and geology of the cave system. We’re planning a trip back when we can visit the Great Room (closed this time of year for the bats). Also enjoyed a short walk on one of the trails. Beautiful area!
Jerry Dunlap
We were here 2-14-2014. We could not take pictures of the cave itself. Something to do with the flashes, as I remember. Absolutely a beautiful cave. A must-see cave for anyone. The Big Room Complex I believe was closed because of the bats, I think.
Nelida Safrit
Beautiful state park. It’s well taken care of. We did the cavern tour. They did not allow photos to be taken inside. The campground is beautiful. It’s very quiet and clean.
Caden Head
This place was super cool. We did the tour of the big room, and it was absolutely stunning. The way they have preserved the cave is amazing too. I 100% recommend visiting.