Introduction:
A very nice state park campground featuring large private sites and offering access to some very nice hiking trails and caverns.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Price per night / Discounts: $30 / None
Campground website: Kartchner Caverns State Park
Our Site #: 55
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
4.5/5: Sites are spaced far from one another and there are trees scattered throughout the campground, offering a sense of space and privacy. We were in an end space, so we had no neighbor on our driver's side and a very large "yard" on our awning side. In front of us were fields of tall grasses and trees. We really enjoyed the site.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
5/5: The park is located about 15 or 20 minutes from I-10, so it is very convenient while traveling along that popular route. It's about an hour from Bisbee and 30 minutes from Tombstone and there are impressive caverns to explore right at the park. Necessities are available in downtown Benson which is about 15 minutes from the park's entrance. All in all, while the park is not right in the middle of town, it's close enough to give visitors access to everything they might need while being far enough away to create a relaxing environment. We consider it an ideally located park.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
4/5: I'm deducting a point because we did need to use several levelers and the campground does not offer sewer hookups at the sites, but otherwise, we had no complaints. The campground roads are wide and easy to maneuver and the utilities that we did have were well placed. There is a convenient dump station on the main road in the park, though big rigs needs to be careful as the entrance is a bit narrow on one side.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
5/5: We were able to book our own sites, the website is modern and has all the information you need, and the customer service -both at the front gate as well as from the very friendly and helpful camp hosts - was top notch.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
4/5: No wifi, but our hotspot worked well.
Summary:
We were very happy with this campground. Spacious sites, quiet, surrounded by nature, great hiking trails in and around the park, and reasonable access to various sightseeing spots were all positives. We would absolutely stay here again if we returned to the area.
