COLOSSAL CAVE

COLOSSAL CAVE
LADDER TOUR
Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Tucson

Guided tours of Colossal Cave are offered to the public several times each day except on major holidays when the park is closed. Entrance to the cave is by guided tour ONLY. The easy, basic tour takes about 45 minutes. The more difficult “Ladder Tour” (1.5 hours) and the “Wild Cave Tour” (3 hours) require reservations. Both tours require hikers to be in good physical condition and able to climb narrow, vertical ladders. Participants are required to wear helmets with headlamps that are provided by the park and must be able to maneuver through some tight spaces and walk on narrow ledges with deep drop-offs. A tour through the “dry” cave includes visits to a series of “rooms” with names like “Crystal Forest”, “Silent Waterfall” and the “Kingdom of the Elves” that lend a sense of wonder to the limestone chambers of stalactites, stalagmites and bizarre water-borne rock formations.

LENGTH: 1 mile underground
RATING: fun
ELEVTION CHANGE: 50 feet
FEES: visit the Web site for current fees and tour information.

GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, take I-10 south past downtown Tucson to exit 279 (Vail/Wentworth exit) and follow the signs for about 7 miles to the park. (16721 Old Spanish Trail, Vail, AZ 85641)
INFORMATION: www.colossalcave.com or (520) 647-7275