CAVE DIVING: 12 of the Best Caves in Arizona

Are you looking for an adventure close to home? Explore the hidden wonders of Arizona’s varied geography and discover 12 magical caves that will leave you awestruck! From secret hiding spots tucked away in remote hiking routes to wonders located within easy day trip distance, this list is sure to satisfy your curiosity. Don’t miss out on these incredible opportunities, check them out today!

The Top 12 Caves in Arizona

Kartchner Caverns State Park

• Address: 2980 AZ-90, Benson, AZ 85602, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (2879)
• Phone: +1 520-586-4100
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Tuesday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Wednesday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Friday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Saturday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Sunday: 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Reviews:
  I remember visiting here a very long time ago. The cavern is basically the same thanks to thoughtful preservation efforts 👌. The tour was lovely. We had a great tour guide. He shared his “cave humor” and he obviously has a great passion for the caverns. This is a DO NOT MISS when in the area. We’ll worth that $20-ish ticket. You must make reservations and the tours fill up fast so vest to plan ahead for this adventure.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Kristi Rhinehart (7 months ago)

  Another beautiful Arizona State Parks. I recommend doing both cave tours, Rangers took their time, answering questions and being very aware of how important it is to maintain these, gorgeous caveds.
  I stayed in a cabin for 2 nights, it is very comfy, has a refrigerator and microwave. It was chilly out, I stayed nice and warm in the cabin. Very clean cabin and adjoining restrooms across the road.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Deb Reinert (a week ago)

  Visited 02/24/22 while kids were out of school for Rodeo break! Very fun and informative tour. The visitors center was very nice as well. They have a restaurant on site if you feel the need. Make reservations online because the tours fill up fast. Definitely worth the $money$ and roughly a 30 minute drive from Tucson. Enjoy!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Alex (8 months ago)

  Lovely gardens and paths around park.
  We did the rotunda cavern. Rich, our guide was fun…the caverns were spectacular. One sees the glory of God in his work underneath.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Natalie Smith (10 months ago)

  This was my second visit and enjoyed it as much if not more than my first! Erika was a Phenomenal guide and enjoyed her job immensely. The tour was exciting to see you again with all the different formations in history of the park.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Marc Shoemaker (7 months ago)

Grand Canyon Caverns

• Address: AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (1306)
• Phone: +1 928-422-3223
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Reviews:
  These caverns are a hidden gem. This is a dry cave compared to the wet caves we’ve visited. I highly recommend a visit to these caverns. Our tour guide was Reggie & he was Awesome!! The tour took close to an hour. It is well worth the price of admission. I would say that if you have any physical issues this may not be for you. There are some steep climbs. The path is good & well lit but it does take some physical exertion. Just a heads up. I’m so glad we made the trip to these caverns. You won’t be disappointed.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Margie Russell (2 months ago)

  Tickets for the Cavern Tour are $25 per person for adults. You take an elevator down into the cave and the guide takes you around the cave, showing you many different sites. It was a lot of fun, but the 45-minute tour took twice as long because our guide Dino was giving us a lot of facts. I enjoyed it but if you’re limited on time, you’ll need to budget more time just in case your tour runs longer than normal. You can reserve a ticket to eat a meal from the Cavern Grill in the cave. Also, you can book a night to stay in the cave as well. The tour guide said it’s a popular attraction and the next time I come, I plan on booking a stay.

  There were 2 families in the group whose kids kept touching the caves and climbing on the rocks. It was very frustrating to see because the parents clearly didn’t care (the adults were sitting on rocks and whatnot too) and the kids kept running into others in the group. It’s sad to see the cave getting damaged because of careless visitors. I wish the tour guide was stricter with them because no one else was behaving that way and it was very distracting.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Roshni Patel (3 months ago)

  This had to be one of the most amazing experiences ever, there were a group with us that took the short tour. I would definitely recommend taking the full tour you will miss out on so much! Taylor was an amazing tour guide, and our group plans on coming back for the exploration tour and maybe even to stay the night.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Adrian Diljohn (3 months ago)

  I know this is an old roadside attractions on route 66 and I expected the tour to be overly cheesy. That said I was quite pleased with the tour the guide did a great job of talking about both the national history of the caverns and the human history as an attraction. If you are in the area it is worth checking out.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Dan Gilkey (8 months ago)

  Super nice and knowledgeable tour guide. Didn’t see any ghost when we were here but the caverns are beyond glorious with so many sparkling minerals and gems. I forgot everything learned in my geology 101, this tour was a good reminder of some basic rock identification skills.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Limitless (a year ago)

Lava River Cave

• Address: 171B Forest Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (1228)
• Phone: +1 928-526-0866
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: Open 24 hours

  Tuesday: Open 24 hours

  Wednesday: Open 24 hours

  Thursday: Open 24 hours

  Friday: Open 24 hours

  Saturday: Open 24 hours

  Sunday: Open 24 hours
• Reviews:
  A very cool and unique hike if you come prepared. I recommend hiking boots or at least very sturdy shoes. Headlamps are basically a necessity and extra flashlights couldn’t hurt. Also it is 55 degrees or below year around so they recommend bringing/wearing layers. The distance is not far but the terrain is tough with lots of scrambling, crouching, and loose footing throughout so it can be challenging. Now that all that’s out of the way it’s fascinating to see how varied the terrain and effects of the lava rock are and sometimes it feels like a whole other world down there.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Calvin Lenz (5 months ago)

  I have been here multiple times and it is always great. This last time I brought my five year old son and we made it about .8 miles before he’s wanted to turn around. Kids can do it if they like hiking.

  Take the left tunnel if you have small kids or just want an easier experience.

  Wear a beanie and gloves in the winter. Your hands will get cold. Head lamps are much better than flashlights because there is scrambling involved and having your hands free makes it much easier and more fun.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By TJ Paulson (a week ago)

  For anyone that loves this kind of experience is just awesome. The good thing is that very close is camping areas and you might want to camp to see the stars. Don’t be naive like we were. Go with a hard hat and a forehead lamp. It’s hard to get pictures with a cellphone because all the dust.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Luis Adrian Salazar Lozano (3 months ago)

  Lava River Cave can be challenging and dangerous. All throughout the cave there are sharp rocks/boulders and some areas have low ceilings. It is cool and can feel colder the long you are inside so pack a coat and we took a couple of lights incase one is not enough because it is very dark. We had three or four light aimed at the walls to take the pictures.
  I probably wouldn’t take my kids into the cave if they were younger than 10.
  It is a fun adventure if you are prepared. Hiking boots 🥾, lights, possibly helmet ⛑and a coat🧥, cellphone📱, water and if possible go with friends.
  I will definitely visit Lava River Cave again.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Mimi Manriquez (3 months ago)

  Very neat place, highly recommend. Beautiful walk out to it. It was raining pretty hard when we walked to it so I was a bit concerned about it filling with water lol ..but once I got in there …you can tell it would take a bit to have that happen. Definitely have good shoes and a headlamp. I was too warm wearing a light rain jacket in there, I would have been fine with just a t-shirt. And I was wearing shorts and comfortable. Would not recommend for young children. Like someone else had posted, there were kids in there but they were all either scared or cold and it just doesn’t make it fun for anyone.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sharon Soligny (4 months ago)

Grand Canyon Caverns Grotto

• Address: AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.2 (658)
• Phone: +1 928-422-3223
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Friday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Saturday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

  Sunday: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Reviews:
  We had a nice time and Thadd was a very good tour guide.
  It is worth the price of admission.
  Go ahead and take an hour out of your day for this tour.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Lorna Rivas (2 months ago)

  There is a Nationwide Train strike today, which made transportation impossible, I asked the Manager for a refund of the 200$ I Paid for the reservation since it’s impossible to get there. No Uber or Lyft or Taxis are available. He just flat out refused. I didn’t cancel I just simply have no physical way of getting there. I would have rescheduled for when I come back in town again, but I will now boycott this Restaurant. It’s not the money as it is the principal of the whole thing. I wanted to talk to the manager and ask him if he could get transportation for me I would pay for it and throw in another 100$ but it’s 1 Pm and he, apparently, already left for the day. Unique Restaurant, supposedly, can’t say for sure… horrible management.

  ✭ By Claudio Serafino (3 months ago)

  Unfortunately had to cancel our trip due to COVID-19, and had one night booked here. I’ve tried to contact the inn several times over email, phone, and facebook message over the last month and they will not respond, despite posting often on Facebook that they are still open. I cannot recommend this place at all if this is how they choose to do business.

  ✭ By Victoria (2 years ago)

  The Cavern tour was very interesting, the guide kept it interesting. The mummified remains were fascinating and that giant sloth story was sad yet the size of that creature had to be seen to be believed.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By John Slavik (2 months ago)

  The place was certainly not the best, but aside from one spider, I saw no bugs. I would recommend they add microwaves and mini fridges to the rooms but I’m guessing that’s not likely so make sure you bring a cooler. The diner at the hotel was closed and the one at the caverns closes too early. They only serve a couple versions of a hamburger and same with a few sandwiches. It’s not terrible, but save your money and take the 30 minute drive over to Seligman and eat at the Roadkill cafe instead.

  ✭✭✭ By Montie Whisner (7 months ago)

Apache Death Cave

• Address: 2 Guns, Winslow, AZ 86047, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (470)
• Opening hours:
  Monday: Open 24 hours

  Tuesday: Open 24 hours

  Wednesday: Open 24 hours

  Thursday: Open 24 hours

  Friday: Open 24 hours

  Saturday: Open 24 hours

  Sunday: Open 24 hours
• Reviews:
  It took me a while before I found this cave opening. I was over by the abandoned zoo area first. Then I went to the other side at the top of the canyon area. This is where I found the entrance. Cold air was blowing in my face when I got close to the opening. When I went in it was mind blowing. I went in as far as I could go before turning around. There is a lot of dark history in this apache death cave. I was so happy when I found it and went in.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Chris Helvie (5 months ago)

  Super interesting, well worth a stop. Incredible history, near buildings and bridge. The zoo was cool!

  So annoying that everything has to be marked with graffiti, and not pretty works of art…

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sharon Soligny (4 months ago)

  Definitely a really cool piece of history! Its a easy stop off the expressway and has a lot within the stop! Definitely worth stopping and snapping some photos and googling the history of the area while there!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Jaclyn Kliest (4 months ago)

  It’s important to note that the Apache Death Cave itself has had a cave-in, or perhaps several. The stone building nearest to the graffitied modern gas station marks the entrance. You can see the remains of a wooden ramp that led down to the entrance, but it has fallen away and what’s left is weak. Do NOT use that on your climb down.

  It is still possible to get into the cave if you’re careful. Wear good shoes, take a flashlight and pick your way down the rock slide. Duck under the wooden ramp and into the low entrance. The floor is uneven with lots of rocks that have fallen in (and more may fall any time) plus there’s the chance of encountering others as you can tell people have been using the cave for recreational purposes. Go carefully.

  I liked poking around down there, but I’d you’re not a climber or dark cave fan, the ruined buildings are pretty neat to see all on their own.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Strangers’ Gardens (9 months ago)

  What is there to say? It’s an awesome cave. The whole area is great for exploring the adjacent ruins. The front entrance is a bit sketchy, I prefer scaling the rocks to taking the bridge, but both paths are valid to enter the cave. The main entrance is definitely beginner friendly. It tightens up before opening into a large atrium with several offshoot rooms. Deeper in the cave is another smaller atrium, leading into an extremely tight squeeze one way, and some more advanced spelunking the other way.
  The road leading out there is a bit off road, but with care, it was a trivial task even in our civic.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Cicada Tymbal (6 months ago)

Phoenix Bat Cave

• Address: 3698-3694 E Colter St, Phoenix, AZ 85018, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.4 (273)

Cave Buttes Recreation Area

• Address: N 7th St & E Happy Valley Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85024, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (200)

Peppersauce Cave

• Address: Oracle, AZ 85701, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (125)

Colossal Cave Mountain Park – cave tours

• Address: 16721 E Old Spanish Trail, Vail, AZ 85641, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (121)

Subway Cave

• Address: Long Canyon Trail, Sedona, AZ 86336, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (115)

Birthing Cave

• Address: Deadman’s Pass Trail, Sedona, AZ 86336, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (82)

Mummy Cave Overlook

• Address: Chinle, AZ 86503, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (53)

Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best caves in Arizona. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!