Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Kartchner Caverns Offering Discounted Cave Tours In August and September http://www.azstateparks.com

Kartchner Caverns State Park cave tours will be discounted down to $12 for adults & $5 for children for August & September of 2008 as part of the summer internet promotion. "This was a popular promotion last summer for residents so it's important that we can offer it again," said Assistant Director Jay Ream. "These are traditionally slower times of the year for the park & with gas prices soaring this is a great opportunity for families to plan summer vacations in that part of the state," he said.

"If you go online, you can book your tickets for dates starting August 1st, through mid September. Weekends are usually busy, so if you need to travel then you should go to the Internet & book right away. Walk-up tickets & the phone-in reservations will still be offered at a seasonal discount, so those tickets will be $8.95 for children & $16.95 for adults. There is no park use fee if you have cave tickets for the day, so you can combine a hike into the Whetstones, but camping is not discounted for this promotion."

"You can make a weekend of your trip to Cochise County & camp & travel around the County to discover many fascinating spots such as Fort Bowie, Fort Huachuca, the Bisbee Mine, the Amerind Museum, Tombstone Allen Street activities & the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. If you are trying to get out of the heat of the large cities, you actually gain elevation to about 4,500 feet from the Phoenix & Tucson valley areas. The air is cooler there & the cave temperature is about 70 degrees," said Ream.

Park visitors can tour the 23,000-square-foot Discovery Center & all the geology exhibits, sign up for the interpretive programs, & see the filmed documentary of the explorers explaining the importance of stewardship of natural resources.

It is always best to guarantee your cave tours & you can do so online at, azstateparks.com or you can also call (520) 586-2283.

Camping is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis & the picnic & group areas are available throughout the year. Group tours are always welcome for schools, businesses & families. Special accommodations can be made for commercial tour operators including the use of the outdoor amphitheater, ramada area, band stand, & lunches can be served through the "Bat Cafe."