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Phoenix to Kartchner Caverns State Park road trip: best stops

The drive from Phoenix to Kartchner Caverns State Park takes about 2 hr 23 min (southeast of Phoenix), by real roads from ZIP 85004. Along the way we found 58 stops within a short detour: 11 coffee shops, 9 ice cream and treats, 22 places to eat and 2 viewpoints.

The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Phoenix) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.

Plan this trip All day trips from Phoenix

Where you are going: Kartchner Caverns State Park 2 hr 23 min from Phoenix

Photo: Mike Lewis, CC BY-SA 4.0

Cave

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Take a guided walk through a living limestone cave that is still wet and growing, with formations so fragile the cave stayed secret for years after it was found.

2-3 hrs
Year-round; Big Room tour only October 15 to April 15
State park entrance fee (per vehicle), waived with a cave tour ticket; cave tours ticketed separately (reserve ahead)

Heads-up: Book tours online, up to a year ahead. No phones or cameras in the cave (lockers on site), kids under 7 can't take the Big Room tour, and no strollers or walkers underground. I-10 construction can slow weekday traffic.

Official site

Map of the stops between Phoenix and Kartchner Caverns State Park

Open the interactive map

First third Middle third Last third Kartchner Caverns State Park

First stretch 5 stops

Casey House Viewpoint · Guadalupe
About 16 min into the drive · detour about 11 min
Dutch Bros. Coffee Coffee shop · Casa Grande
About 43 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th 05:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 05:00-23:00; Su 05:00-22:00
Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ Restaurant · Arizola
About 43 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Iron Skillet Quick bite · Toltec
About 47 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
The Lookout Viewpoint · Arizona City
About 47 min into the drive · detour about 13 min

Middle of the drive 16 stops

Golden 9 Restaurant · Toltec
About 48 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Subway Sandwich place · Wymola
About 1 hr 3 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch Attraction · Picacho
About 1 hr 4 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Dutch Bros. Coffee Coffee shop · Marana
About 1 hr 16 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Panda Express Chinese counter-service · Marana
About 1 hr 16 min into the drive · detour about 2 min
Dairy Queen Ice cream counter-service · Marana
About 1 hr 24 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Starbucks Coffee shop · Tortolita
About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 04:30-20:30
Boba Cucue Coffee shop · Tortolita
About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
Screamery Ice cream · Marana
About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Th,Su 12:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-22:00 Website
Filiberto's Mexican counter-service · Tortolita
About 1 hr 25 min into the drive · detour about 2 min Website
Rio Grande Steel Sided Caboose 01433 Historic site · Tucson
About 1 hr 31 min into the drive · detour about 3 min Website
Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum Museum · Tucson
About 1 hr 31 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Sep-May Su 13:00-17:00 Website
Tanna's Botannas Factory / Bodega Candy shop · Tucson
About 1 hr 33 min into the drive · detour about 8 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Fr 16:30-21:30 Website
Barista Del Barrio Coffee shop · Tucson
About 1 hr 34 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
Steinfield Mansion Historic site · Tucson
About 1 hr 35 min into the drive · detour about 3 min
Snob Hollow Attraction · Tucson
About 1 hr 35 min into the drive · detour about 3 min

Last stretch 5 stops

Decibel Coffee Works Coffee shop · Tucson
About 1 hr 36 min into the drive · detour about 3 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: 07:00-14:00
Candy Loco Candy shop · South Tucson
About 1 hr 38 min into the drive · detour about 5 min
Donut Wheel Donut restaurant · Tucson
About 1 hr 39 min into the drive · detour about 5 min · hours listed on OpenStreetMap: Mo-Su 06:00-20:00
Cold Stone Creamery Ice cream · Vail
About 1 hr 50 min into the drive · detour about 9 min
Titan II Missile Base #04 Historic site · Pimaco Two
About 2 hr 5 min into the drive · detour about 3 min

Questions about the drive from Phoenix to Kartchner Caverns State Park

How long is the drive from Phoenix to Kartchner Caverns State Park?

About 2 hr 23 min by road, heading southeast from the middle of ZIP 85004. Traffic and weather change that.

What are the best stops on the way from Phoenix to Kartchner Caverns State Park?

Good ones to start with: Casey House (Guadalupe), Dutch Bros. Coffee (Casa Grande), Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ (Arizola), Iron Skillet (Toltec) and The Lookout (Arizona City). The page lists 26 in all, in driving order.

Where can I get coffee or a bakery stop between Phoenix and Kartchner Caverns State Park?

Dutch Bros. Coffee in Casa Grande, Dutch Bros. Coffee in Marana, Starbucks in Tortolita and Boba Cucue in Tortolita. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.

Where can I eat on the way to Kartchner Caverns State Park?

Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ in Arizola, Iron Skillet in Toltec, Golden 9 in Toltec and Subway in Wymola.

Are there viewpoints or quick sights on the way?

Casey House in Guadalupe, The Lookout in Arizona City, Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch in Picacho and Rio Grande Steel Sided Caboose 01433 in Tucson.

More about Phoenix and Kartchner Caverns State Park

Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.