In November 1974 two young cavers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were exploring
the limestone hills at the base of the Whetstone Mountains in southeastern Arizona.
In the bottom of a sinkhole they found a narrow crack leading into the hillside.
Warm, moist air flowed out, signaling the existence of a cave. After several
hours of crawling, they entered a pristine cavern.
It wasn't until February 1978 that Tenen and Tufts told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their amazing discovery.
During the four years of secret exploration, the discoverers realized that the cave's extraordinary variety of colors and formations must be preserved.
The cave's existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park.