Coronado National Forest

Recreational Activities

                                   CAVE OF THE BELLS      

The Cave of the Bells is a fascinating and fragile underground wilderness.  Though this subterranean gallery of rock -- known for its unique and varied suite of minerals and formations -- has been thousands of years forming, it is nevertheless extremely fragile.  A few moments of thoughtlessness here could cause irreversible damage.  For that reason, and because so many similar areas have been damaged by vandalism, the Cave of the Bells is locked and gated (see NOTES: on this screen).  To obtain access to the cave, a reservation and a key security deposit is required.  Permits and keys are only available at the Forest's Supervisor's Office located at

300 W. Congress St, Tucson. 

The Cave of the Bells is located in Sawmill Canyon at the end of a four-wheel drive road on the eastern slopes of the Santa Rita Mountains (see map). Lake Tunnel, one of its most notable and accessible passages, leads through a large room to a permanent lake far underground. The lake is a total of 80 meters below the entrance level. Visitors to this area note an unusual temperature gradient. Instead of getting cooler as the cave gets deeper, the temperature becomes noticeable warmer. The lake itself has been measured at 76 degrees Fahrenheit, nine degrees warmer than the air at the entrance. For this reason, it is believed that the water in the lake is heated by sources far below.

Nearby Onyx Cave is open by permit also, and should be treated with the same respect.

ATTRACTIONS:

• Underground wilderness
• Picturesque formations
• Limited Access

SEASON:

• Year-round, but possibly closed for September due

           to bat hibernaculum and/or maturnity needs.                                           

NOTES:

• Cave of the Bells is gated and protected, accessible only with a key. Access is strictly controlled and maintained by the National Cave coordinator at (520) 388-8497.
• A $100.00, refundable deposit is required and the key & permit returned within 3 days.
• When water is standing in the entrance, footing can be slippery.
• Watch for snakes.