Off to southern Arizona to Kartchner Caverns State Park. It is time for us to visit friends and enjoy some nice hiking.
Kartchner Caverns State Park is about 10 miles south of the Benson area and I-10. It offers 62 campsites, camping cabins, world famous caves with tours available, and a Discovery Center with a gift shop, cafe, and museum.
The caves have an average temperature of 70 degrees F, about 99% humidity, and reservations are required with a variety of different tours available. The caves were discovered around 1974 by local cavers and have a very interesting history which is detailed in the Discovery Center (along with a movie).
Campground: Kartchner Caverns State Park
Location: Benson, Arizona
Site: 56 (back-in)
Cost: $31.60
Services: W/E (30 AMP)
Comments: A beautiful campground with great views, easy access to hiking trails, nice Visitor Center (Discovery Center), and cave tours. There are two loops, with not much difference between the two, which are located right next to each other. Both are within walking distance to the Discovery Center and to the hiking trails.
The campground is situated at about 4,600 feet and has fabulous views of the surrounding mountains and high desert. With this kind of elevation it means that the winter months can be a bit chilly (and maybe even offer a bit of snow) which means campfires are quite nice.
The state park offers a variety of hiking trails within the park along with access to trails in the Coronado National Forest. We, of course, took advantage of the great weather and did a bit of hiking.
The Mountain Viewpoint trail leads up to the the highest point along the trails and offers great views of the surrounding area.
We had a fabulous few days of hiking and exploring and visiting with friends. It’s a great state park and offers nice amenities and some peace and quiet.
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