Are you the owner for this storage? Make it a featured listing and be seen in the top search results!

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

• Pets Welcome
• Day Max Stay (14)
• Tent Camping Allowed

- Other Amenities & Services

• Restroom and Showers

- Recreation Nearby (within 10 miles)

• ATV Riding
• Hiking
• Mountain Biking
• Rock/Mountain Climbing
• Snow Sports

- Discounts

• Military Discount

- Facility

• Type (State Park)
• Partial Handicap Access

- On-Site Rentals

• 

- Sites

• Spaces Available (62)
• Width (20)
• Paved Sites (62)
• Max Length (60)
• 30 Amp
• 50 Amp
• Water (62)
• Electric (62)
• Max Amps (50)
• Pull-thrus (16)
• Pull-thru Size (20 x 60)
• Back-ins (24 x 35)
• Site Length (60)

User Reviews

James Hudson

March 08, 2026

Awesome piece of well perverted nature! Awesome tour guides and friendly fun environment! Nothing is allowed in the cave including cell phone, no pictures of the inside except on selected dates. But that how they keep it special for everyone!

Adventure Nomad for Nature

March 07, 2026

Beautiful State Park. Well maintained. I went on the Big Room tour, our guide was Rich. He was very knowledgeable, and had a wealth of really goofy jokes and puns. I enjoyed his sarcasm and wit, as I'm English born, and don't hear it very often in the US, so it was an added plus for me on top of his enthusiasm for the caverns and his wealth of knowledge. Very interesting indeed. The cave was pretty spectacular, and very humid, (99 pct). Thank you Rich. ... Afterwards I visited the cafe, the menu had quite a few choices, better than expected. My coffee was cold though, hence one star missing. Good coffee matters! 😜 I also got to watch a presentation on bats, and even touch a living bat and feel its heartbeat, which is very fast. This isnt an every day thing though, so dont expect it. All in all a beautiful visit, and I managed to spent 5.5 hours here. 👌🙏🙏

Karen D

January 03, 2026

Excellent cave tour!! Professional presentation given by knowledgeable guide. We arrived a few hours early, bringing our own food to eat at the picnic tables. Very clean with garbage cans nearby and areas to grill using your own propane tanks. Inside the visitor center there are all kinds of well done exhibits & a theater showing an informative movie about the cave. Nice gift shop, cafe, and clean stocked restrooms. Friendly employees were helpful and you could just tell they love their jobs. Overall, a must see if you are in the area. Best to rsvp tickets well in advance. Hiking & camping available too. You do not want to miss this! I was wholly impressed with the thought that went into the guest experience!!

Shari Brewster

November 27, 2025

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

November 16, 2025

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

November 01, 2025

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

September 25, 2025

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

August 16, 2025

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

July 08, 2025

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

June 22, 2025

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!

Map for Kartchner Caverns

Contact information