organ pipe cactus national monument

We only spent a few hours at Organ Pipe, but I imagine you could spend several days here. Beautiful place to drive though and some great trails to hike. We left around sunset, and it was absolutely beautiful with the cacti silhouettes and colorful sky. Definitely need to return for a longer visit!

Spent four days exploring this beautiful monument. Campground is efficient, quiet, and even offered solar showers. The cacti and bird watching were incredible. Stops in Ajo and Why offered fun, tourist-interesting activities, food and sights. Arizona, you have a jewel in the desert with this national monument. Rangers were very helpful at visitors center and we enjoyed the board which noted "interesting birds and animals" recently spotted in the monument. A perfect getaway for people who love nature and dark skies!

This is out of the way truly, but if you are going to Southwest Arizona, please go. The drive through the cacti and mountainside is outstanding.

Very beautiful picturesque drive, not crowded at all. Suggest to spend a night in nearby Ajo and hit the road early in the morning.

What a stunning area! Lots of cacti and stunning mountain vistas. We arrived just in time for the 11am Ranger Talk at the visitor centre. This 15 minute program (on rattlesnakes today but changes) was followed by a short (very very good) movie about the lower Sonoran Desert. We did the short drive around the park (20+mi) over the longer one (40+mi). The drive had 18 interpretive stops along the way. The spots were labelled and the text was in a short booklet from the visitor centre. The road was well maintained but rough with some uneven ground. We had a jeep and passed without problem but we did see someone in a smartcar (like a Mini Cooper) passing but very slowly and bumpily. There are three picnic shelters along the way. We did the Arch Canyon hike. Short with beautiful views. Very steep (over solid rock nearly scrambling) at end. Once you hut the very steep up you are nearly at the end of the trail. Bring your ID/passport as you pass through a border patrol checkpoint. They are friendly but just in case. And (tidbit time) a National Park is set aside/preserved by an act of Congress. A National Monument is set aside by a Presidential Decree. They seem to function similarly from a visitor perspective. Lovely day!

Located just south of Ajo, Arizona, the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a "10". If you love the desert THIS has got to be on your "bucket list" of places to visit. Start out by driving to the Kris Eggle Visitors Center at the south end of the park and browse the displays and information they have to offer. After your stop at the Visitors Center, take the North Puerto Blanco Drive located on the same road as the Center, up the hill. This is a two-way well maintained road that ties into a one-way rough, high clearance vehicle road a few miles up, however, you'll have no problems up to the one-way start. There you'll find picnic tables and additional information. Get out and explore, but be careful of the cactus as they will reach out and grab you if you're not watching. After driving back to the Visitors Center, cross Highway 85 onto Ajo Mountain Drive, a 21 mile loop road that most cars with decent ground clearance shouldn't have a problem with. Beautiful area with a large variety of cactus and other vegetation. Be sure and watch for desert life such as Javelina, Gila monsters, Desert tortoise, antelope, deer, and so much more. We needed MUCH more than the one day we were here and will be back! Very, very highly recommended!!!

Only if the cacti were in blossom could this site have been any more spectacular. Calling ahead to plan for more blossoms would have added to the visit. We came in late February. The gift shop is a one-stop for all grandparents looking for interesting items for grandchildren at home. A very exciting place to visit even after seeing lots of cacti in other sites.

the Trails are mostly very easy, the cactus diversity is fabulous, and you should not worry about safety. The Park Service keeps an eye on trails, and tells you where it is safe to go.

We drove from the Phoenix metro to Organ Pipe Cactus Nat'l Monument in mid-February, & it was well worth the drive (about 2.75 hrs each way). It made for a worthwhile but full day road trip. During our Organ Pipe visit, we stopped at the Visitor Center as well as drove 2 of the scenic drives through the park (Ajo Mountain Drive & North Puerto Blanco Drive) & enjoyed 2 hikes (Desert View Trail & Arch Canyon). We thought all 4 were worth our time because we did enjoy a variety of scenery. Our 4 choices did fill up the full day, though, so if you would like to do more than we did, you might wish to camp in/near the park or stay in Ajo north of the park. We saw the most organ pipe cacti (which the park is known for) along North Puerto Blanco Drive & also on the Desert View Trail hike. We drove in my new model Honda Accord & had no issues in the non-paved roads, but certain drives through the park (including NW of the picnic area on North Puerto Blanco Drive) would require off-road/4X4 type of vehicles due to the rough terrain. We heard that late winter is their busier season, but the park wasn't so overly crowded that you couldn't enjoy the park on our weekend visit. Ajo Mountain Drive took approximately 3 hours to drive the loop (including stopping at a few scenic spots & the 1.5 mile or so Arch Canyon hike). North Puerto Blanco Drive (up to the picnic table area & back) took about 1 hour. We enjoyed hiking both Arch Canyon Trail as well as Desert View Trail, but if we had to pick our favorite hike it would have been Desert View since we saw more organ pipe cacti & gorgeous expansive scenery (including all the way south into Mexico). We saw several lizards during our day at Organ Pipe, but that was it in terms of wildlife (although javelina, snakes, jackrabbit, bobcat, coyotes, etc. are known to be there). Several species of wildflower were starting to come into bloom, so a trip a few weeks later would likely be more beneficial to see wildflowers. Just a few tips to enjoy your stay:-- Bring a cooler of water -- it's a desert, so even in the winter you'll need more than you think. We can't say that enough!-- Sunscreen...especially in the summer! A hat would also be advisable.-- Wear hiking shoes if you'd like to enjoy some of the trails. My Keens definitely came in useful during our visit.-- Bring snacks/picnic lunch. There are a few snack items available in the visitor center (as well as north of the park in Ajo or Why or southwards in Lukeville), but otherwise it's very much a rural area. Snacks will definitely come in handy for energy if you'd like to hike.-- Use the restrooms in the Visitor Center before embarking on Ajo Mountain Drive, as it will be a while before you see facilities again.-- Layers of clothing, including jackets, etc. In the desert, you might be surprised how cool it can get once the sun goes down.-- $8 entry fee payable at the Visitor Center is good for 7 days.-- The park literally borders Mexico, so you'll see signs to be alert for any suspicious/illegal activity. I believe we passed through 2 Border Patrol checkpoints between I-8 and the park (each way), but the stops weren't long enough to delay us. Just something to be aware of.

Organ Pipe is a wonderful park in the great southwest outdoors. It is in the desert but this desert is green and very beautiful. We have been here several times and will come again. The RV park has concrete pull thrus with desert greenery between each site but no utilities.

By the end I had had my fill of cactus, but I learned so much. We did one hike that was not too long but beautiful. One of the drive arounds you must have a jeep like vehicle so be aware. The other driving trail is fine for regular cars.

This is a little out of the way as you travel from Yuma to Tucson but worth the side trip. You can picnic at a designated site, camp in the campground, hike on a trail or drive one of the loops through the monument. The views of the cactus and landscape are spectacular during the day or of the stars at night. We did all of the above and enjoyed each in turn. But above all it was so astonishing to get out of the car and hear the silence of the desert at midday. Living in a city, talking to people all day is what I do for a living - the silence of the desert provides me with a real holiday. It was so quiet we whispered while we ate our picnic lunch! Enjoy!

What a great time we had here. The visitor centre had lots of great displays and information, the Rangers were very helpful. We took the Ajo Mountain drive which although dirt road was very easy to traverse. It was so peaceful, very few others visiting and we had a wonderful blue sky day which made it even better! We will definitely visit again, perfect!

This park is beautiful. The visitor center is about 2/3 or more into the park and there's no food so eat in Ajo (100 Estrella is good) or bring something. We did the 21 mile/2 hour drive and it was just desolate and gorgeous. Only saw 1 other car leaving as we arrived (it was a Wednesday). Our rental Chrysler 200M did fine. We walked the loop by the campground which was plenty since it was quite hot (for Wisconsinites). We had to go through 2 border patrol stations but it was fine. They just asked if we were citizens. I would recommend going here if you like cacti!

Experience the Organ pipe cactus only seen in extreme southern Az or Mexico. The views, the history, the beauty of nature in the desert. And don't miss the teddy bear cholla.