Kartchner Caverns State Park

"A DarkSky certified state park known for its 'star parties' and excellent stargazing opportunities." - Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'

"The Kartchner Caverns are fascinating caves in the desert of Southern Arizona. Two separate ranger-led tours lead visitors through them, and they both require reservations. The Rotunda Throne Room tour takes about one and a half hours through underground passages with delicate rock formations, culminating with the Throne Room, home to the tallest and most massive column in Arizona, nicknamed Khubla Khan, and one of the world’s longest soda-straw stalactites.The Big Room tour takes visitors through a different entrance, showing off impressive formations around each bend. This tour is not available between mid-April and mid-October, when a colony of about 1,500 bats takes residence in the Big Room in the summer. Short trails show off the desert around the, caves where visitors get a better understanding of the environment that created the caves. After leaving the area, Wild West enthusiasts can drive to the historic Tombstone, home to the OK Corral and the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park." - MATADOR_NETWORK