Dazzled Visitors get to see a Disneyland of dazzle packed into two football field-size galleries. Water deposited over time has left its mark inside the cave, where temperatures are a constant 68 degrees and humidity is about 98 percent. In the Rotunda Room, visitors can see sprawling mud flats that become a lake when the rains come. A single set of footprints from its founders remain. Travel along the Imaginary Passage and see ribbons of crimson and butterscotch that resemble bacon slabs.
Calcite seemingly flows from the cavern walls in places.
Tufts said he remains spellbound to this day about his underground wonderland. Officials said they expect to open the Big Room to visitors in two to three years. State Parks Director Ken Travous said the Kartchner Caverns story goes beyond one of discovery and development, hopefully stretching far into the future. This is a story of stewardship and of passing something very special along to children, and their children. This will outlive us all if we do it right.