Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is directly south of Phoenix and shares a border with Mexico. The closest US city is tiny Why, AZ with a population of 116 people. Although it may not stand out as an incredibly interesting place to visit, this part of the Sonoran Desert is beautiful. The Sonoran Desert may be one of the hottest places on earth but it is also a “green desert.” Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is covered in lush green cactus and offers the peaceful beauty only a desert can.

Sunset

I arrived at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument at 4:30pm, giving me just enough time to ask for information at the visitor’s center before they closed. Camping options were limited. There is a primitive campsite near the park entrance with four campsites. While this would have been ideal, the ranger informed me this campground fills by 12:30pm. My only option was Twin Peaks Campground, which was nearby and had 200 sites.

As someone who regularly camps in the back country I was hoping for a quiet night under the stars. Thankfully Twin Peaks Campground wasn’t as loud as expected. There are separate areas for vehicles with generators, vehicles without generators, and tents only. I was happy to find the tent area was on the far side of the campground away from everyone else.

The park ranger recommended Desert View Trail as a good place to watch the sunset. After setting up camp I grabbed my camera and headed to the trail just before sundown. It’s only a 1.2 mile hike with slight elevation gain, but it felt good to stretch my legs after the long drive.

The sunset colors were a soft rainbow-hue and I went camera-crazy as the sun dropped below the mountains. After only a couple hours in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument I was already relishing my time here.

Hiking Senita Basin

I woke up just after sunrise and immediately drove to the trail head at the end of Senita Basin Road. The drive is on a well-maintained dirt road which the ranger assured me was drivable in my Honda Civic (however I could not drive Puerto Blanca Drive). Senita Basin Road runs parallel with the Mexican border and many patrol agents were driving through.

After a small breakfast at the trail head I organized my gear and began hiking Senita Basin Loop. The trail was a playground! There was cactus everywhere – Ocotillo, Cholla, Saguaro, Senita, and Organ Pipe to name a few – and plenty of opportunities to take goofy pictures with their different shapes and sizes. I hiked to Red Tanks Tinaja and looped back to my car via Senita Basin. The entire hike was a flat 5.7 miles of cactus fun.

It was 75F by 11am (in February). Just hot enough to avoid hiking until later that evening. The visitor’s center was air conditioned so I spent time looking at the exhibits. Back at the campsite the temperature kept creeping up. I sank into my camp chair with a PB&J and the most recent issue of Backpacker Magazine to pass the time. Later in the afternoon there was an attempt to nap but it was too hot. With obvious laziness I got ready for the second part of the day.

Hiking Arch Canyon

On the other side of Highway 85 across from the visitor’s center is Ajo Mountain Drive. It’s another well-maintained dirt road which winds 21 miles around Ajo Mountain. This drive is completely different from Senita Basin Road and shows off colorful mountains surrounded by an incredible amount of saguaro.

I drove slowly to appreciate the geology and enjoy the AC in my car. Soon, Arch Canyon came into view – aptly named for the arch hovering above a canyon. There is a well-marked 0.6 mile trail (one way) that goes into the canyon, followed by an unofficial 1.2 mile trail (one way) leading up to the arch.

The day was finally getting cooler which meant it was time to hike again. Once the official Arch Canyon trail ended I began to follow cairns leading up the mountain. It was steep and occasionally difficult to follow the trail. At the top of the mountain the cairns led left, away from the arch, to a lovely view of the Sonoran Desert. I was happy for my mistake since the view was quite impressive, but I had to backtrack and find the actual trail.

While it is possible to hike to the base of the arch I was not interested in going the whole way. The very last part of the trail is steep and rocky (a combination I try to avoid when hiking alone). Still, there is a good view looking onto the arch from the trail.

Continuing along Ajo Mountain Drive there is an option to hike Bull Canyon. The views are supposed to be great, but after hiking Arch Canyon it was getting late. The last third of the drive offered nothing new and I pulled up to camp just as the sun went down. I made dinner as the sky changed to a soft orange and thought about what a good day it had been.

Sunrise

My alarm went off before sunrise. I threw my tent in the car and left Twin Peaks Campground. There is an area to pull over and pay the park fee at the beginning of Ajo Mountain Drive. It also seemed a nice spot to watch the sunrise and I brewed a cup of tea while waiting patiently for the sun to come up.

Slowly, the sun began to spread a crisp morning light across the desert. It was incredibly quiet except for the occasional woodpecker. A peaceful ending to my quick trip to the desert.

It was time to leave Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I made a short stop in Ajo to look at the urban art scattered around town. There is also a pretty courtyard with shops, but nothing was open this early. I made my way past the two immigration stations and headed back to San Diego. The trip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument may have been short, but the beautiful Sonoran Desert was worth every second.