TUCSON & SOUTHERN ARIZONA NATURALLY INCREDIBLE PLACES BY TERESA BITLER From pipe-like cactuses to a cave filled with one of the world’s longest stalactites, natural wonders abound here. At Chiricahua National Monument , discover rhyolite rock pinnacles, balanced rocks, columns and other rock formations formed by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago. Hiking is the best way to see these geological phenomena, but you can also appreciate them on a scenic drive. Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson ranks among the most beautiful caves in the world. On a tour, you’ll pass one of the longest soda straw stalactites in existence, the world’s most extensive formation of brushite moonmilk, the tallest column in Arizona, and other incredible displays. Just 15 miles southeast of Tucson, Colossal Cave Mountain Park offers a family-friendly tour of its caverns six stories underground, where you’ll learn about the cave’s geology, wildlife and legends. A more adventurous tour takes visitors through tight passages and across rock bridges. Cactuses flourish in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument , the only place you can see large stands of organ pipe cactuses in the United States. Visit in the spring when gold poppies, blue lupines, pink owl clover and other annuals bloom or in the summer when the park’s 31 species of cactuses bloom, both day and night. Chiricahua National Monument, Willcox TOP TO BOTTOM: EXPLORE COCHISE; @ADVENTURESWITHBG Kartchner Caverns State Park, Benson 53
Arizona Official State Travel Guide Arizona 2023-24: Page 53
