Kartchner Caverns State Park
Kartchner Caverns State Park is primarily known for its living limestone cavern. It features 3 hiking trails and has 62 campsites, ADA accessible restrooms, 4 camping cabins, and camping for RVs. There is a Hummingbird Garden Walk, and a Pollinator Garden both of which are more active in between January and May or after a good monsoon year.
The park sits at the base of the Whetstone Mountains and offers a wide-variety of activities, including cave tours (advance reservations are recommended). Nearby canyons, arroyos, desert terrain and riparian areas offer great bird watching.
Site Information
Region: Tucson and Southern
County: Cochise
Directions: From Interstate 10 in Benson, turn onto State Highway 90 and proceed south until you see the sign for the park. It is an easy to find location.
Latitude: 31.835427
Longitude: -110.356561
Operational Hours: Other
Other Operational Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily
Admission or Fees: $7 per vehicle (1-4 adults), $3 per individual/bicycle. Cave tour fees are extra.
Best time to visit: March-early June is best for migrant species but this park has numerous year round residents of interest to most birders.
Habitats: Desert, Grassland
Know Before You Go
Dogs are allowed on all trails.
Safety First! Arizona has many beautiful places to explore and we’d like to help you make it a safe and enjoyable experience. Check out our recommendations for hiking precautions.
Species Highlights
Speciality: Acorn Woodpecker, Bridled Titmouse, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Canyon Wren, Costa’s Hummingbird, Harris’s Hawk, Hepatic Tanager, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Lucifer Hummingbird, Lucy’s Warbler, Mexican Jay, Montezuma’s Quail, Pyrrhuloxia, Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Scaled Quail, Varied Bunting, Zone-tailed Hawk
Charismatic: American Kestrel, Anna’s Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-throated Sparrow, Cactus Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Gambel’s Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Lesser Goldfinch, Loggerhead Shrike, Phainopepla, Ruby-crowned Kinglet , Summer Tanager, Verdin, Vermilion Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, White-winged Dove
Contact Information
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Arizona State Parks
2980 S Hwy 90
Benson, AZ 85602
Phone: 520-586-4100
Website: https://azstateparks.com/kartchner
Additional Resources
Learn more about birds reported at this location at eBird:
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L367821
Additional Resources:
During the summer months the biggest cavern room is closed to accommodate myotis velifer, or common cave bat. For further information on the conservation of bats, refer to the park's website Kartcher Cavern State Park Science
For more information on these bats, click on this summary from Bat Conservation International
Since the park trails are open to dogs, here is a link to Birding with Dogs
