All About the Grand Canyon Caverns

The Grand Canyon is widely considered one of America's great natural wonders, and the national park that encloses much of the canyon receives millions of visitors each year. However, not every Grand Canyon attraction is inside the national park, and sites like the Grand Canyon Caverns is just such an attraction. The largest dry cave system in America, the Grand Canyon Caverns should figure prominently in any vacation to see the Grand Canyon.

Grand Canyon Caverns is situated along Route 66 in Peach Springs, Arizona. This makes it not just an attraction for vacationers exploring the Grand Canyon, but also for travelers who are making their way down one of America's most historic highways. This part of Route 66 is located in a bend between the Seligman and Kingman exits of I-40, in northwestern Arizona. Peach Springs is 155 miles from Las Vegas, and 115 miles from Flagstaff.

Cave Tours
The main attraction at the Grand Canyon Caverns is the cave system itself, which can only be explored one one of the cavern tours. Unlike caves such as Mammoth Cave, Grand Canyon Caverns is a dry system with near-zero humidity in the cave. The cave system has a well-lit, prepared "trail" which is used by the two main tours, lasting for 45-minutes and 25-minutes respectively. A third tour goes "off-trail" to explore some of the remoter chambers in the cave.

Accommodations
Grand Canyon Caverns has a 48-room motel, equipped with an outdoor swimming pool, coin laundry and convenience store. All rooms have air conditioning and cable TV, and free Wi-Fi is available in the motel lobby. However, the signature room at the caverns is the Cavern Suite, situated 220 feet below ground and billed as " oldest, darkest, deepest, quietest, and largest suite room in the world." Reached by elevator, the temperature in the suite is always in the upper 50s Fahrenheit and is free of cave creatures such as bats, cave crickets and rats.

The Grand Canyon Caverns also operates a campground. The campground includes 50 RV sites with full hook-ups and several mixed RV and tent campsites. The latter are sited in secluded, tree-shaded areas and have no hook-ups, but they do come equipped with a water spigot. All campsites have fire ring and picnic table, and the campground is serviced by a bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets.

Other Travel Features

Grand Canyon Caverns also operates its own restaurant, with a full bar and both an entree menu and a buffet. The establishment sits on an 800-acre property with its own nature trails, and Grand Canyon Caverns conducts horseback trail rides and wagon rides as well. Finally, the proprietors also operate a jeep tour service out to the Grand Canyon and Colorado River, which includes a tour of the caves as well as the run out to the canyon.

Sources: gccaverns.com; roadsideamerica.com; byways.org