Tour Entrance

Tour groups meet behind the Discovery Center and board a tram for the short ride up to the cavern entrance. The tram ride provides a scenic view of the Whetstone Mountains.

The tour entrance is not the one that the explorers used. To provide easy access about 1,100 feet of tunnel was developed. Developing the tunnel was a difficult proccess due to unstable rock and the delicate nature of the Caverns. Special equipment was used to monitor the blasting so as to not disturb the formations in the Caverns.

The contrast between 99% + relative humidity and the dry desert above makes this cave particularly vulnerable to damaging changes brought about by develping the cave for viewing. Changes in airflow, temperature or humidity could quickly dry the cave, halt speleotherm growth and diminish the cave's natural beauty. The rate of evaporation on the outside is 800 times greater than inside the cave and outside air let in could deplete the entire annual supply of moisture to the cave in just a couple of days.To combat this issue visitors walk through a series of heavy duty air lock chambers.