Joyce Shumate
The next Let’s Travel Club meeting is on Friday, March 17, at 2 p.m. Sinda Sutton, Park Ranger, Certified Interpreter Trainer for Kartchner Caverns State Park, will give the presentation.
Kartchner Caverns State Park of Arizona features a show cave with 2.4 miles of passages. The park is located 9 miles south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns were discovered in 1974 by local cavers, assisted by state biologist Erick Campbell who helped preserve them.
This beautifully diverse park sits at the base of the Whetstone Mountains. It offers visitors a wide variety of activities amid the natural beauty of the area and the complex infrastructure in the park. Cozy cabins with a view, spacious campgrounds, world-renowned cave experiences, beautiful trails, and so much more are waiting for you in Benson!
Arizona State Parks’ consultation with cave experts prior to development resulted in a display showing the problems facing public caves and the importance of preserving them.
Kartchner Caverns is now following established nationwide protocols to prevent the spread of White-Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that kills bats.
Caves are mysterious, and we seek answers to our questions. Numerous interactive displays in the museum allow visitors to discover those answers. The hands-on hydrology display enables visitors to follow water underground, usually hidden from our view, and shows why water is essential to the cavern that remains a living cave.
Terry Simon, a Let’s Travel Club day trip planner, is planning a trip to Kartchner Caverns for a group of 20 participants (max) attentive on May 16. More information will be presented at the meeting.
Join the Let’s Travel Club on Friday, March 17, at 2 p.m. in the Kino Center, Ocotillo and Mesquite Rooms, to learn more. All QC residents are welcome.