Stuck in the middle of the Arizona desert between the famous Route 66 towns of Seligman and Kingman, AZ is one of the very best kept secrets along the Mother Road… the Grand Canyon Caverns, and this spring you have an awesome opportunity discover just why so many hardcore travelers and RVers love this little-known destination.
Tucked over 200 feet below the earth’s crust, the caverns are the largest dry caverns in the country, all accessible by elevator for you to explore. The Grand Canyon Caverns offer adventure and wonder both above and below the ground with thousands of acres of truly unspoiled air, sky, and prairie all around.
The Grand Canyon Caverns feature a classic vintage motel, a diner, a gift shop, lots of photo-ops, and even a rodeo ring that often hosts cowboy round-ups. Because of the multiple things all in one place, the GCC has become a popular rally spot for traveling groups of Route 66 enthusiasts, car clubs, RVers, and even aviators. That's right... GCC has it's own airport.
Let's talk about those RVers we mentioned… the Grand Canyon Caverns offers a pretty massive RV camping area with full hook-ups, and if you’re looking for a good excuse to load everyone in the RV and hit Route 66, look no further than Good Sam Club’s “Western Weekend” on May 8-10, 2015 to be hosted at Grand Canyon Caverns.
In addition to the fun times you’ll have getting to know the other RVers, you’ll also get a great package deal from Grand Canyon Caverns:
"This package is for RV owners to spend a delightful weekend with us. For $75.00 per person, you get a caverns tour, full buffet breakfast, and two dinners. In addition, you can enjoy full use of our 1,400 acres and everything else we offer all of our guests. There will be live music in our big lounge Saturday night, and drinks available from our full bar. Please make your reservations early by calling 928-422-4565 and ask for the Good Sam's Club weekend package May 2015."
If you really want to be adventurous while at the Grand Canyon Caverns, forsake your comfy RV or motel room for one night in the Underground Cave Suite! It’s pricey at $800 per night (for 2 people, goes up $100 for each additional person up to a total of 6), but it may be one of the most unique motel rooms in the world…
The Underground Cave Suite, according the the Grand Canyon Caverns, is the “largest, deepest, darkest, oldest, quietest motel room in the world.”
The suite is 200 ft. by 400 ft. with ceilings that soar in places to over 70 feet… All formed over 65 MILLION years ago, 220 feet below the surface. As you can imagine, there is zero natural light and no living thing- no bats, no mice. Nothing.
The air you breathe in the suite travels 65 miles through cracks in the limestone all the way from the Grand Canyon- a process that both purifies the air and leaves it devoid of moisture and humidity.
To get to the world’s deepest, darkest motel suite you take an elevator down 22 stories into the belly of the caverns where you’ll find a couple double beds, a living room, a collection of vintage books and magazines, a functioning record player, and a bathroom. Water is brought down in buckets by the motel staff.
Even if a night underground isn’t your thing, a tour of the underground caverns should be a no-brainer on your visit to the Grand Canyon Caverns.
The Grand Canyon Caverns is the perfect place to set up camp for your trip to Havasupai Nation and their breathtaking Supai waterfalls like Havasu Falls. They can help you arrange a trip to the falls and are the closest place to camp before starting your adventure. Whether you’re looking for a 1-day trip to Supai Falls or looking to make it a 2-day adventure, GCC can help you arrange the horseback or helicopter tours that will make the most of your trip.
As we mentioned earlier, Grand Canyon Caverns is located between two major Route 66 tourist towns: Seligman and Kingman. In Seligman you can grab a bite to eat at the legendary Delgadillos Snow Cap Drive-in.
Buy a gift from Angel’s Barbershop, a place that Pixar used heavily for research for the movie Cars. (FYI: The nearest town, Peach Springs, is often said to also be the real-life inspiration for Radiator Springs in the movie. Locals in Seligman have told us to tread lightly in Peach Springs as they don't enjoy tourist attention- We can't confirm that, but just a heads-up.)
Kingman has plenty to see and do as well, like a stop at their landmark Route 66 diner, Mr D'z Route 66 Diner and the massive Route 66 Museum.
On the way into Kingman from the GCC you also come across one of the most famous Route 66 stops: the Hackberry General Store. (Once again, a real-life location from the movie Cars.)
Pro Tip:
Arizona, California, and New Mexico’s portions of Old Route 66 are some of the most scenic remaining sections of the Mother Road but also some of the most desolate. Be sure to monitor your fuel, carry some extra water, and consider joining a club that offers you roadside assistance such as Good Sam Club.