Colossal Cave
Colossal Cave is a cave system in southeastern Arizona, United States, near the community of Vail, about 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Tucson.
A museum, 15 mi southeast of Tucson
Summers are hot
June and July highs run 100–101°, and about 158 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Tucson, 15 miles northwest. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr and Nov
February, March, April and November are the mild months, with highs of 69–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Tucson. Green months are the mild ones.
Colossal Cave
Colossal Cave is a cave system in southeastern Arizona, United States, near the community of Vail, about 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Tucson. It contains about 3.9 miles (6.3 km) of mapped passageways. Temperatures inside average 70 °F (21 °C) year-round. Previous names include 'Mountain Springs Cave' and 'Five–Mile Cave'.
The cave is an ancient karst cave, classified as "dry" by guides (though this is not a speleologic term). The meaning of this is that its formations are completely dry, or "dead", and do not grow. This is because the cave was formed by water depositing limestone, but this source has disappeared. It instead feeds the "active" nearby Arkenstone Cave that continues to grow formations. Colossal Cave was used from 900 to 1450 AD by the Hohokam, Sobaipuri, and Apache Indians.
- Type
- Museum
- Wikipedia readers
- 3.7K a year
Where to stay near Colossal Cave
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Tucson (182) and Benson (22).
- 1Saguaro
- 2Pima Air & Space Museum
- 3Arizona Stadium
- 4Mount Lemmon
- 5Kartchner Caverns
- 6Titan Missile Museum
- 7Coronado National Forest
Tucson
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
548,371 people
15 mi northwest of Colossal Cave
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Colossal Cave | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson | 15 mi northwest | 25 min | 182 121 hotels · 21 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 13 RV parks | 548,371 | $266K | D |
| Benson | 21 mi southeast | 30 min | 22 5 hotels · 5 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 9 RV parks | 5,532 | $149K | — |
| Tanque Verde | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 11 4 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 15,866 | $608K | — |
| Catalina Foothills | 22 mi northwest | 35 min | 11 10 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 52,593 | $652K | — |
| South Tucson | 22 mi northwest | 35 min | 5 5 motels | 4,452 | $167K | — |
| Casas Adobes | 29 mi northwest | 45 min | 11 7 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 72,059 | $343K | — |
| Sahuarita | 22 mi southwest | 30 min | 4 3 hotels · 1 RV park | 37,694 | $364K | B+ |
| Willow Canyon 100% vacation homes | 23 mi north | 35 min | 4 4 campgrounds | — | — | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Colossal Cave
Other well-known places within 35 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
110 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
215 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
322 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
428 mi MountainMount Lemmon34 mi AttractionThe Thing?
523 mi CaveKartchner Caverns State Park
624 mi MuseumTitan Missile Museum
719 mi National forestCoronado National ForestPhoto credits
Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Arizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Kartchner Caverns State Park: Mike Lewis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0 · Coronado National Forest: Zereshk, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Visiting Colossal Cave
What town is Colossal Cave near?
Tucson, AZ, about 15 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Colossal Cave?
February, March, April and November, with highs of 69–83°.
What is the closest airport to Colossal Cave?
Tucson (TUS), about 18 miles away.
Where should I stay near Colossal Cave?
Tucson (15 mi, 182 places to stay), Benson (21 mi, 22 places to stay) and Tanque Verde (16 mi, 11 places to stay).
Tips from people in Tucson
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Tucson’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.