Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages. Its address puts it 5 mi south of Benson. It was established in 1988.
A cave, 5 mi south of Benson
Summers are hot
June and July highs run 94–96°, and about 79 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Benson is the nearest base
Benson is 5 miles north, with 22 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Mar, Apr and Oct
March, April and October are the mild months, with highs of 71–81°. When to go ↓
Established in 1988
Kartchner Caverns State Park dates from 1988. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
A month-by-month look
Each month’s highs and lows around Kartchner Caverns are below.
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with 2.4 miles (3.9 km) of passages. The park is located 9 miles (14 km) south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped in its preservation.
The park encompasses most of a down-dropped block of Palaeozoic rocks on the east flank of the Whetstone Mountains.
- Type
- Cave
- Established
- 1988
- Opened
- 1999
- Listed
- International Dark Sky Park (2017)
- Wikipedia readers
- 21K a year
Places to stay near Kartchner Caverns State Park
Places to stay start in Benson (22) and Tombstone (31), and Tucson has the most rooms in the area (182).
Benson
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
5,532 people
5 mi north of Kartchner Caverns
Tucson
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
548,371 people
38 mi northwest of Kartchner Caverns
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From Kartchner Caverns | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson | 5 mi north | 10 min | 22 5 hotels · 5 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground · 9 RV parks | 5,532 | $149K | — |
| Tombstone | 18 mi southeast | 25 min | 31 8 hotels · 6 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 1,376 | $183K | — |
| Sierra Vista | 19 mi south | 30 min | 33 28 hotels · 2 motels · 1 lodge or cabins · 2 RV parks | 44,907 | $254K | C+ |
| St. David | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 3 1 inn or B&B · 2 RV parks | 1,098 | $154K | — |
| Whetstone | 9 mi south | 15 min | 3 3 RV parks | 2,971 | $214K | — |
| Sonoita | 21 mi southwest | 30 min | 5 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 663 | $460K | — |
| Sierra Vista Southeast | 28 mi south | 40 min | 10 3 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds | 14,330 | $259K | — |
| Elgin | 16 mi southwest | 25 min | 2 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 349 | $357K | — |
| Tucson | 38 mi northwest | 1 hr | 182 121 hotels · 21 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 13 RV parks | 548,371 | $266K | D |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also within reach
Other well-known places within 60 miles.
Big draw59 mi National MonumentChiricahua National Monument70K visitors a year
130 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year224 mi AttractionThe Thing?
37 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
44 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
49 mi MountainMount Lemmon
319 mi MuseumBird Cage Theatre
411 mi National forestCoronado National ForestPhoto credits
Chiricahua National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 · Bird Cage Theatre: Hawkeye58, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Coronado National Forest: Zereshk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Good to know about Kartchner Caverns
What town is Kartchner Caverns State Park near?
Benson, AZ, about 5 miles north.
When is the best time to visit Kartchner Caverns State Park?
March, April and October, with highs of 71–81°.
What is the closest airport to Kartchner Caverns State Park?
Tucson (TUS), about 40 miles away.
Where should I stay near Kartchner Caverns State Park?
Benson (5 mi, 22 places to stay), Tombstone (18 mi, 31 places to stay) and Sierra Vista (19 mi, 33 places to stay).
Benson has the answers
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Benson’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.