Karchner Caverns, Southeast of Tucson, Arizona

We have been to a number of caves, but Karchner Caverns is a stand-0ut. It was discovered in 1974 by two University of Arizona students, one of which is still alive today. Karchner Caverns is considered 100% alive, versus Carlsbad Caverns which is considered 3% alive. The founders and the Karchner family worked hard to protect and preserve this cave for generations so they kept it secret for about 14 years while they research the best way to preserve it. The tour was about a mile walk. To reach the mouth of the cave, we took a trolley UPHILL and to enter the cave, we had to go through 3 different chambers; each chamber was a process to maintain the cave's moisture. We saw stalactites, stalagmites, growths that they referred to as straws, bacon, popcorn, drapes, etc., etc., Beautiful! We were not allowed to take pictures or touch anything except the stainless steel rail