They were the earliest inhabitants and were the Hohokam. Then in circa 900 AD a civilization lived and thrived in this region that is now known as the state of Arizona. About 300 million years ago much of American Southwest was covered in water eventually the water began to recede throughout the years or eons of water erosion the cave dried out and became one of the largest dry caves of located in North America. The cave was first created over a millennia ago. Though in the summer months if you choose to go hiking it is highly recommended to bring a lot of water, a hydration pack would be a good investment if you are planning to hike in the summer, as heat stroke can be deadly. There are also other activities around the Colossal Cave area, including gem mining, a petting zoo, five miles of scenic trails, camping, and picnicking. Wagon Rides: 7.50 per person ($75 minimum) Pricing for the Trail Rides are as follows as of April 2022 (Rates via ): RV and Horse Trailer Camping: $15 per vehicle/night Pricing for Tent Camping is as follows as of April 2022 (Rates via ): If you enjoy other outdoor activities, you can also rent a camping area, or go on one of the various trail rides that are available. Only for the physically fit, able to scale obstacles and go through tight spaces Must be 12 or older and minors must be accompanied by an adultġ6 or older and minors must be accompanied by an adult The tours for the more adventurous people, include much more difficult terrain, but explore deeper areas of the cave that the Classic Tour does not cover.Īs of April 2022, the pricing for tours are as follows (Rates via ): There are several tours around the cave that are guided and there are a variety of tour options, catering to both the casual tourist as well as the avid adventurer. The cave also has a humidity of around 60%. Ĭolossal Cave Mountain Park is considered a great tourist destination, especially in the summer months as the temperature inside the cave system is typically around 70 degrees, even during the hottest parts of the summer. The 2 miles that are fully documented took 2 years to map and fully explore given the complexity of the cave system. It is estimated that there are over 39 miles of tunnels inside the cave system. Even though the cave has been known about for over 100 hundred years it is still not fully explored. Being a dry cave system means that the formations, such as stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and draperies are no longer actively forming. The cave is one of the largest dry caves in the United States. The address is 16721 E Old Spanish Trail, Vail, AZ 85641, USA. Today the cave system can be visited as a part of the National Register of Historic Places. Either way, you won't be disappointed.Colossal Cave is a large cave system that is located near Vail, Arizona. We traveled over the route of the basic tour and it's beautiful, too. I'd rate the trip as easy, but if you have any fear of heights or exposure, try the basic tour first. The $40 ticket price for our tour was well worth it and we highly recommend this trip, the route with ladders. Antonio estimated that trip covers about 60% of the entire cave system. If they re-open the extended, deep cave tour that runs for 5 hours, we will do it. The 1-1/2 hour trip only covers a small portion of the 3.8 mile cave system. We got to experience brief, no-light, utter darkness traveling for 20-30 feet that was challenging. In some parts, external lighting is provided, which accentuates formations of interest. Our tour guide, Antonio, was funny and provided lots of interesting details on the history of the cave system. It's filled with narrow ledges and welded metal ladders that are fun traversing. We had a blast, walking, squeezing, and a little bit of crawling thru the cave's myriad routes.
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