organ Pipe cactus National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located in southern Arizona. It is known for its rugged landscape dominated by the iconic organ pipe cacti. There are beautiful scenic drives, hiking and desert wildlife. It is stunning at sunset.
getting to Organ Pipe cactus National Monument
If you are flying to the area, the closest airports are the Tucson International Airport (TUS) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The Tucson Airport is about 143 miles away and about a 2.5 hour drive while the Phoenix Airport is about 148 miles away and also around a 2.5 hour drive away. The closest town is Ajo which is about 33 miles north of the park.
getting around
The best way to visit this national park is in your own private vehicle. You can drive through most of the park on paved roads. If you are flying to the area, you should rent a car.
where to stay
Ajo is a beautiful and quaint town that is 33 miles north of the park. It has a few types of accommodation and dining options. We spent the night at the Sonoran Desert Inn which was perfect!
There are several camping options available in the park. There are 174 RV and 34 tent only sites with running water. It is $20 per night and reservations can be made in advance at recreation.gov. You can also camp at the Alamo Canyon Campground which is a primitive site without running water and it has 4 sites for $16 per night. There is also backcountry camping available as well.
when to visit
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument can be visited year round. Fall and winter are ideal for cooler temperatures but tend to be the busiest times to visit. The temperatures can drop to the 30-40s in the winter. The early spring is the greenest after the wetter winter season. During the summer the temperatures can be very high 110s F so you will be more comfortable visiting earlier or later in the day. Always prepare for the sun with plenty of water and sunscreen.
fees
The fee for the park is $25 per vehicle, $15 per person or $20 per motorcycle. You can also get an annual pass for this park for $45.
America the Beautiful Annual Pass: $80 interagency pass good for one year from month purchased- I highly recommend this if visiting more than 3 parks in a year.
top things to do
Visit the visitor center
The Kris Eggle Visitor Center is open 7 days a week from 9 AM- 5PM. They have maps and bookstores with lots of information. You pay your entrance fee at the visitor center.
Drive the scenic Ajo Mountain Road
The Ajo Mountain Drive is the ideal way to explore this park. This 21 mile one-way gravel road brings you through the park. Along the way you can stop along some scenic overlooks, picnic spots and trailheads. This section of the park is teeming with organ pipe cacti. The Old Pima County Road, Arch Canyon and Bull Pasture trails are located off this drive. The drive takes around 1-2 hours to complete. Vehicles over 25 feet are prohibited.
Drive the Puerto Blanco Drives
The Puerto Blanco Drive Loop is also very popular. it is a 41 mile drive and takes about 4-5 hours to complete. After Pinkley Peak the road becomes a one-way high clearance 4 wheel drive only road.
Hiking
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has 28 miles of trails throughout the park. Some of these can be accessed via the drives. Some of the top hikes include Bull Pasture 2.6 miles moderate, Arch Canyon Trail 2.9 miles hard, Baker-Milton Trail Loop 9.1 miles moderate and so many more. There is a paved 0.2 mile nature trail around the visitor center as well.
Biking
There are numerous amazing trails with diverse terrain for bikers to enjoy in the park and surrounding areas. You can bike the Loop Scenic drives as well. The roads from the visitor center to Twin Peaks Campground is fully paved. You can also bike between Twin Peaks Campground and Pinkley Peak Picnic Area which is about 10 miles one-way.
Sunset Viewing
There is almost noting quite iconic as the saguaro silhouette with the setting sun. In the western part of the park, Gates Pass is a popular place for catching the sunset. We saw the sunsetting as we finished the Bajada Loop and we were happy with that. In the Rincon Mountain District, the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail is a popular place to catch the sunset. Another popular place is at the Javelina Rocks which is where we caught it and were happy! The gates to the Rincon Mountain District close at 8 PM so plenty of time to exit after the sun goes down.
camping
RV and tent sites are available at Twin Peaks Campground and reservations can be made at recreation.gov. There are 4 primitive sites at the Alamo Canyon Campground and also backcountry camping available.
