Adventures Underground – Colossal Cave, Arizona
Posted in Scenery, Southwest | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Caves, Nature, Southwest, Travel
Exploring nature can be a colossal adventure – especially when it’s underground!
Colossal Cave entrance
Colossal Cave, a dormant cave whose stalactites and stalagmites have served as refuge and hideout for centuries, beckons you to share its winding paths through a below ground fantasy-land. A fifty-minute tour provides a chance to see where bandits and ancient Indians lived. Natural forces have provided visual layers. Paths were developed by the “cavemen” of the 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps.
Stalactites in Colossal Cave
A tour guide helps you find the way and points out artifacts that can be traced to the 1400s and geological formations that were formed over eons. The only occasional residents who share the caves are bats, which are present during some portions of the year.
From the vantage point of the patio outside the cave, the vista is scenic and great for photography. Once you get underground, the photography can be problematic, since the tours keep moving and the lighting is dim.
Adjacent to the Colossal Cave Mountain Park is the La Posta Quemada Ranch, where picnic grounds, a petting zoo, horseback rides, a butterfly garden, a small museum and a gift shop offer a pleasant place to picnic and wander after a cave exploration.
How to get there: In Arizona south of Tucson, travel on I10 to exit 279 (Vail), and north for seven miles to Colossal Cave Mountain Park.
Fees: Park entrance fee is $5 per vehicle. The guided cave tour is $8.50 for adults and $5 for children. Free for the under-5 set. No reservations are necessary. You might wait a bit until the next tour leaves.
The Ranch charges for trail rides ($27-47) for 1-2 hours.
Notes: Wear sturdy shoes for the cave tour, since some of the steps in the paths can be narrow. The cave is not handicapped accessible. Allow several hours, especially if visiting the ranch and picnicking.
See http://www.colossalcave.com/visit.html for more information.