One Of Arizona’s Most Famous Monuments Almost Didn’t Make It!

Arizona is riddled with natural oddities. From the vast and breathtaking Grand Canyon, to the wide open plains of Saguaro National Park, no one's doing outdoor adventure like us.

There's one park, however, that almost never saw the light of day.

Finding Kartchner Caverns

In 1974, two men by the names of Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts were exploring a sinkhole near the Whetstone mountains. They discovered a crack in the sinkhole, that they immediately went to go explore.

Inside the sinkhole, the two discovered warm, moist air, that they decided they had to follow. Upon a bit of exploration, they found themselves in something incredible. It was about two and a half miles of untouched caves, with limestone formations littering the interior.

And just like that, that was the last anyone heard of the cave system for 14 years.

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The History of Kartchner Caverns State Park

Why Keep It a Secret?

Between the years of 1974 and 1988, only three people had knowledge of the pristine caverns. That of course, was Gary and Randy, as well as the land owner it was found on, who was told of the discovery in 1978, nearly four years after the initial discover.

Well, the three realized that this was an extremely precious find. A cave system that was untouched by litter, vandalism, and general hooliganism. They decided to protect it, as their pet project.

It wasn't until 1988 that, together with the Kartchner family, Gary and Randy put the steps forward to develop the area as a tour spot, thus forcing the protection of the caves. Kartchner Caverns State Park officially opened its doors in 1999, and has remained a Cochise County staple since.

[Arizona State Parks][Only in Arizona][Wikipedia]