Colossal Cave
Burned Stage Station

The maintenance of the Colossal Cave and the Colossal Cave Mountain Park is catered to by the La Posta Quemada Ranch (which means the Burnt Post Office – the legend says that Edward Gail, the co-owner of the Ranch, once was communicating to a friend in 1875 referring to the Ranch as the "burned stage station" – hence it got its name) ever since 1878, and it is still working on it today. The Ranch functions under the Pima Country Foundation, which possesses more than 5,500 acres of land. The Foundation earns its revenue from leasing its land for grazing on the area surrounding the Colossal Cave Park.

While visiting the Colossal Cave Park a must-see and a must-do is the gemstone sluice, where you can pan for gemstones in the same way you search for gold by straining sand. There are arrangements for identifying your gems and labeling them for you so you will feel proud and happy about your new-found treasures.

You have to definitely take the regular tour in the Colossal Cave, which only takes about 50 minutes to one hour. This tour involves climbing up and down some 363 steps. Hence, this tour is not people who are not really comfortable with physical exercise. For the more adventurous there are a number of other deeper and longer tours, such as the Ladder Tour, which will take about one and half hours and guides visitors into the deep secrets of the Cave. This is a tour that is conducted every Saturday and often ends with a great feast of ribs – and a bonfire. There is another tour called the Wild Cave Tour – this is a bit extreme and it is not advisable for those who feel claustrophobic and have heart palpitations in the dark. This tour requires high physical fitness and lasts for about two-three hours.

Among the favorite tours in the Colossal Cave is the Candlelight Tour. Though the Cave is electrically lit, it has a totally different charm in its natural light – one that is enhanced highly by the candle light. This is an hour and a half long tour, and is a rare experience which must not be missed.

The Colossal Cave, as its name indicates, is a huge cave – created by sulfur springs and overhead water seeping which crystallized in the present forms available today in the Cave. The Cave was discovered 1100 years ago by local native Indians and rediscovered in 1879 by Solomon Lick. The cave was put up for public viewing in 1917, making it the oldest tourist attraction in Arizona, however it was available for modern tours after 1930, when the Civilian Conservation Corps renovated the interiors sufficiently to make it convenient for touring of public.

In the Colossal Cave Mountain Park you will also find a wonderfully interesting museum housed in the Ranch Headquarters House. This was built in 1967, and showcases extremely interesting snippets and historical artifacts pertaining to early human and natural history of the Park. The Park also has a wing dedicated to speleology or the science of caves, and another that focuses on cave exploration. Both are great for naturalists and cave enthusiasts.

There are many other attractions in the Colossal cave Mountain Park like picnic areas where you can have unlimited fun 'cowboy style.' There are also hiking trails that can be as fascinating as they come. While you are visiting the different corners of the Park you will encounter a great number of wild animals such as the famous Coyote, the fox, the Mule Deer, the Mountain Lion, the Raccoon, the Ringtail Cat, the Skunk and many lizards, snakes and birds. The Cactus Wren, the State Bird of Arizona, is also present here. Many of the snakes are poisonous. However, very seldom are snake bites reported. Out of all the rattlesnake varieties inhabiting the Park, the most dangerous (and fortunately the rarest) is the Mohave.

The Park is managed by the Pima County Charitable Foundation, which was founded in 1987 specifically to maintain the Park areas of Pima County. It gets the biggest part of its revenue from leasing out grazing lands around the Colossal Cave Park. The Pima Foundation through the La Posta Quemada Ranch oversees the management of the Colossal Cave Mountain Park. The Park charges a nominal entry fee, and it has its gates closed at night to protect the campers on its grounds. For any emergency during the night, there are telephones available which can be used to dial 911.

Whether you choose to visit only the Colossal Cave or the whole Colossal Cave Mountain Park, it is guaranteed that you'll have a wonderful time