BENSON — Kartchner Caverns State Park cave tours will be discounted down to $12 for adults and $5 for children for August and September as part of the summer Internet promotion, according the Arizona State Parks.

“This was a popular promotion last summer for residents so it’s important that we can offer it again,” said Assistant Director Jay Ream.  “These are traditionally slower times of the year for the park and with gas prices soaring this is a great opportunity for families to plan summer vacations in that part of the state,” he said.

“If you go online, you can book your tickets for dates starting Aug. 1 through mid September,” Ream added. “Weekends are usually busy, so if you need to travel then you should go to the Internet and book right away. Walk-up tickets and the phone-in reservations will still be offered at a seasonal discount, so those tickets will be $8.95 for children and $16.95 for adults.  There is no park use fee if you have cave tickets for the day, so you can combine a hike into the Whetstones, but camping is not discounted for this promotion.”

Park visitors can tour the 23,000-square-foot Discovery Center and all the geology exhibits, sign up for the interpretive programs, and see the filmed documentary of the explorers explaining the importance of stewardship of natural resources.

The best way to guarantee cave tours is to book online at www.azstateparks.com for tickets, or by calling (520) 586-2283 to reserve tickets.

Camping is offered on a first-come, first-serve basis and the picnic and group areas are available throughout the year.

Group tours are always welcome for schools, businesses and families. Special accommodations can be made for commercial tour operators including the use of the outdoor amphitheater, ramada area, band stand and lunches can be served through the “Bat Cafe.”

For information about Arizona State Parks, call toll-free 800-285-3703 or visit the Web site at www.azstateparks.com.