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Grand Canyon Caverns
- Nature & parks
- In Peach Springs, Arizona
- 0.1 mi from Route 66
Grand Canyon Caverns is a dry limestone cave just off Route 66 between Seligman and Peach Springs, AZ, about 11 miles east of Peach Springs. An elevator drops 210 feet into one of the largest dry cave systems in the United States. Found in 1927, it has drawn road trippers for almost a century. An elevator breakdown shut it in 2022, and tours resumed in June 2025 under the Havasupai Tribe, which bought it in 2022.
What is Grand Canyon Caverns?
A show cave beneath the high desert, with an inn and a campground on the surface. Very little water seeps into these caverns, so the dripping stalactites and stalagmites of wetter caves are rare here. Instead you see broad, dry rooms, glittering selenite crystals and odd finds preserved by the dry air, such as a mummified bobcat.
Guided tours of different lengths start from the elevator at the bottom of the shaft, and a small restaurant operates down in the cave.
History of Grand Canyon Caverns
In 1927 Walter Peck, a local woodcutter, nearly stumbled into a funnel-shaped hole on his way to a card game. He came back with friends, ropes and lanterns, and the glitter they found below made him think of gold, so he bought the land. No gold was found, only iron oxide, and Peck began charging travelers to be lowered in on a rope instead.
The cave went by several names, including Yampai Caverns and Dinosaur Caverns, before it became Grand Canyon Caverns in 1962, the year a 210-foot elevator shaft opened. In the early 1960s the federal government also made the cave a fallout shelter and stored supplies there for 2,000 people; some of them are still in the cave. An overnight suite was built underground in 2010; the tribe closed it for good in March 2026 to protect the cave.
Visiting Grand Canyon Caverns: tips
The entrance is about a mile off Route 66 on the long, quiet stretch between Seligman and Kingman, so it fits easily into the drive. Allow one to two hours, including a tour. Parking and restrooms are on site, the site reports wheelchair access, and it suits families with kids. Because the caverns were closed for years, check the official schedule before you go.
The John Osterman Gas Station and the Peach Springs Trading Post are both about 11 miles west in Peach Springs.
Practical info
- Address
- AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434
- Phone
- +1 928-422-3223
- Website
- gccaverns.com
- Hours
- We have no opening hours for this stop yet — check the official site.
- On site & nearby
Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix
On the map
Full mapGrand Canyon Caverns with the 6 closest stops. Tap a marker for details.
Tap a dot to see that stop here.
Stops near Grand Canyon Caverns
All of Arizona
10.9 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
11.0 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
12.3 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
24.0 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
24.3 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
24.4 mi from Grand Canyon Caverns
Questions about Grand Canyon Caverns
Is Grand Canyon Caverns open?
Yes. Tours stopped in October 2022, when the elevator broke and left five visitors stuck underground, and the caverns reopened in June 2025 with a new elevator. Tours and the cave restaurant continue, but the underground overnight suite closed permanently in March 2026. Check the current schedule before driving out.
Is Grand Canyon Caverns part of Grand Canyon National Park?
No. The name dates from 1962, and the cave is not inside the national park. It sits just off Route 66 between Seligman and Peach Springs, so it is an easy stop on the old road, while the park is a separate drive.
Can you still sleep in Grand Canyon Caverns?
Not in the cave. The Caverns Suite, a room built 210 feet underground in 2010, was closed for good in March 2026 so the Havasupai Tribe could better protect the cave. The Grand Canyon Caverns Inn on the surface still offers rooms.
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