In the mild climate of Southern Arizona, Colossal Cave Mountain Park is a great place to visit during the winter months. The cave formed 10-15 million years ago, when hot water containing sulfuric acid welled up from below and ate away the rock of the cave passages. Eventually, the water was cut off and the cave cooled, allowing water to seep in from above (probably around 300,000 thousand years ago) thus forming the stalactites, stalagmites and other gorgeous formations. Then the mountains formed and the cave rose with them and now sits perched on a hillside. Around 2,000 to 10,000 years ago, the water vanished, leaving Colossal Cave high and dry.

Colossal Cave extends roughly 600 feet into the mountain and descends 40 feet below the entrance, and keeps a steady temperature of 70 degrees year around, making it a cool retreat during the summer months. Over 2 miles of passageways have so far been explored, but there are probably many more that aren’t accessible by man-sized tunnels. The first people to use the cave were the Hohokam Indians around 1100 years ago. The cave was rediscovered in 1879 and has been continuously open to tours since 1923. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Arizona.

Colossal Cave sits on the La Posta Quemada Ranch in the Rincon Mountains just outside of Tucson, Arizona. La Posta Quemada translates to “burned post office” or “burned stage office” ranch, so named after a Southern Pacific rail line and stage stop that burned in 1875. The ranch was established in 1878 and is still a working ranch. Two resident cowboys handle the ranching operations and look after 65 head of cattle that graze the 5,000+ acres.

Legend says the cave was a bandit hideout. In 1884, four men help up the mail train east of Tucson and got away with $72,000 in gold and currency. They fled into the Rincon Mountains to Colossal Cave. The Sheriff and posse followed and when they attempted to enter the cave, they were fired upon. The Sheriff decided the smart idea would be to starve the men out. Two weeks later, a deputy happened to be in Willcox, where four men were throwing gold around and bragging how they left the Sheriff sitting in front of the cave while they had taken the back way out.

The Sheriff, duly informed, took his posse to the saloon. In the gunfight that followed, three of the bandits were killed, while the fourth spent 28 years in Federal prison in Yuma. Unfortunately, the $72,000 was never found.

While in the park, there are plenty of things to see and do. You can choose from several different cave tours, browse in the gift shops, have a meal at in the cafes, stroll in the Bat Garden, tour the ranch headquarters and museum, visit the butterfly garden and the desert tortoise enclosure, take a horseback ride or do a little hiking. Picnic and primitive camping facilities are available in the park.

There’s plenty of wildlife to see in the park including many species of bats that call Colossal Cave’s more remote passages home, including the Cave Myotis, Townsend’s Big-Earned Bat and the Big Brown Bat, and at least four other species. In addition, you might glimpse mule deer, javelina, raccoon, skunk, coyote, fox, bobcat, mountain lion, ringtail cat, coatimundi, lizards, snakes, and a wide variety of birds.

For tour details and other park information, visit the Colossal Cave Mountain Park website.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park
16721 E. Old Spanish Trail
Vail, AZ 85641 – 520.647.PARK (7275)
info@colossalcave.com