An Experience 200 Feet Underground in Northern Arizona

Every summer in Arizona we look to find the ‘coolest’ spots! Located about 3.5 hours away from Phoenix is the Grand Canyon Caverns. At a brisk 62 degrees year round, this cave is a cool escape from the Arizona summer. You enter through an above ground restaurant and walk through a gift shop with Route 66 items and much more. Don’t forget to take a picture on the world’s largest dinosaur saddle!

You access the cave by using an old elevator that takes you down 220 feet. If the elevator ever stopped working, there are stairs that were used in buildings in New York as escape routes. Once you arrive to the cave, you walk through a hallway that leads to a large chamber that is lighted beautifully. The Mystery Room in the cave provides natural air. 


We were led to their underground restaurant called Cafe Grotto. This restaurant was recently established in 2017 and offers a quieter and unique way to eat your meal! It has only 4 tables and offers a view of the chamber and... their hotel! Yes, they have one room that is located in the cave that is used as a guest suite. It has two beds, a tv, and a bathroom. The only catch? The only walls are the walls from the cave! They told us they rent it out most nights, and while I’m not sure I plan to stay there, it would be a one of a kind experience.

At the restaurant, you have a server that takes your order and calls (with a wireless phone) upstairs to the main restaurant. The food is brought down by the elevator. While the food is the same 220 feet above, the experience of eating your lunch down in the cave was a memorable one. 


After lunch we took a tour of the rest of the cave. It has a few other chambers that are larger than the first one you see when you enter the cave. The tour lasted about 30 minutes, and we all thought it was really cool! The tour guides knew all the history of the cave, and it was actually all very interesting. Watch out for the giant prehistoric sloth! 


All in all, everyone agreed it was a fun afternoon! It’s a great place to bring your kids and you can stop for milkshakes on Route 66 on your way home at the Sno Cap!

Fun fact: You can get married down there! There have been 12 weddings in its history. 

​-Evan

Grand Canyon Caverns Contact Info:
Details: 115 Mile Marker AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434
 (928) 422-3223, gccaverns.com.

---