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. Gary Tenen will join you and five others on a tour of the cave! This is a regular tour of the cave with Tenen offering personal perspective about his discovery. You choose which of the three rooms of the cave you would like to tour.   

Experience a stunning limestone cave in Southeastern Arizona that boasts world-class features. This “live” cave is host to a wide variety of unique minerals and formations. Water percolates from the surface and calcite formations continue to grow, including stalactites dripping down like icicles and giant stalagmites reaching up from the ground. Tour guides will unveil this fascinating underground landscape during a memorable 1½ hour tour.

For more information about the caverns, go to http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/

Expires Jan. 1, 2010