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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Location	Pima County, Arizona, USA
Nearest city	Ajo, AZNearest city: Ajo, AZ
Coordinates	32°02′40″N 112°51′28″W / 32.04444°N 112.85778°W / 32.04444; -112.85778Coordinates: 32°02′40″N 112°51′28″W / 32.04444°N 112.85778°W / 32.04444; -112.85778
Area	330,688 (1,338 km²)
Established	April 13, 1937 Established: April 13, 1937
Visitors	183,739 (in 2004)
Governing body	National Park Service

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a U.S. National Monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in extreme southern Arizona which shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the United States where the Organ Pipe Cactus grows wild. Along with Organ Pipe, many other types of cacti, as well as other desert flora native to the Sonoran Desert grow here. The Park is a beautiful preservation of the American Southwest.

Land for the graded road through the Monument was donated by the Arizona state legislature to the federal government during Prohibition knowing that the north-south road would be improved and make contraband alcohol easier to import from Mexico. In 1937 the land was officially opened as a national monument.^[1]

At the north entrance of the park is the city of Why, Arizona; the town of Lukeville, Arizona, sits at the park's southern border. Lukeville is a border crossing point to Sonoita, Sonora, Mexico.

On August 9, 2002, Ranger Kris Eggle was shot and killed by a suspected Mexican drug smuggler during a US Border Patrol operation. The visitor center has been named in his honor.

Gallery

Short video showing panoramas from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument	An organ pipe cactus in the Monument	Hedgehog cactus and brittlebush in bloom at the National Monument	The Monument is also home to many saguaro cacti
The Monument also contains a pair of natural arches

See also

• Bates Well Ranch, listed on the National Register of Historic Places within the park
• Dos Lomitas Ranch, also listed on the NRHP

References

External links

• Media related to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument at Wikimedia Commons
• Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - Official U.S. National Park Service site

From Wikitravel

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is in the Western region of Arizona in the United States.

Understand

Organ Pipe was created to protect its namesake, the organ pipe cactus, the monument being the largest concentration of the plant in the United States. It is located in the extreme southern portion of Arizona. The area is remote and wild. The nearest town, Ajo, is over 20 mi away and only has a population of 3,700. The nearest large population centers are Tucson and Yuma, both over 150 mi from the monument.

As the monument is on the U.S.-Mexico border, the backcountry portions of the park are currently closed due to illegal cross-border activities.

• Kris Eggle Visitor Center, 10 Organ Pipe Drive, ☎ +1 520 387-6849. Daily: 8AM-5PM.  edit

Get in

The only viable method to reach the park is via car. Arizona Highway 85 leads south into the monument. There is no public transit into the monument.

The nearest major airports are in Phoenix and Tucson.

Fees/Permits

$8 per vehicle for a 7-day pass.

Get around

There is no public transit in the monument. Private vehicles or bikes are the only options to get around the monument.

• Evening programs, Twin Peaks Campground (amphitheater). Several evenings a week, talks are given at the campground on a wide variety ot topics. Check with the Kris Eggle Visitor Center or the Twin Peaks Campground for dates and topics Free.  edit
• Patio talks, Kriss Eggle Visitor Center (on the back patio). Daily: 11AM, 1PM, and 3PM. 20-30 minute talks on a variety of topics related to the history, geology, plants, and animals of the monument. Check with the Visitor Center for topics. Free.  edit

• Ajo Mountain Drive. A 21-mile drive through one of the most scenic areas of the park. The road is mostly gravel but is passable by most passenger cars with normal ground-clearance. RVs 24' or longer are not recommended.  edit

• Ajo Mountain Van Tours. Daily: 1PM. A 3-hour, ranger-led driving tour of the Ajo Mountains in a 10-passenger van. Reservations are required.  edit

• Biking. Bikes are allowed on all roads open to vehicular traffic but are not allowed on hiking trails or in the backcountry.  edit

• Geocaching, [1]. Geocaching is a sort of scavenger hunt using a GPS receiver to locate the hidden item. Organ Pipe is one of the few units in the National Park system to allow this hobby. Two geocaches are listed as being in the monument.  edit

• Guided Hikes. Ranger led walks around the monument. Check the Kris Eggle Visitor Center or the Twin Peaks Campground for dates and times. Free.  edit

• Hiking. Trails range from short, handicapped accessible trails to long, wild trails into the hinterlands of the park. Remember that portions of the park are restricted so be sure to check with the Visitor Center for trail closures and before starting an off-trail hike. Below are a few of the trails available:  edit

• Visitor Center Nature Trail
• Palo Verde Trail (pet friendly)
• Desert View Trail
• Campground perimeter trail (pet friendly)
• Victoria Mine Trail, please stay on the trail
• Estes Canyon Trail (Ajo Mountain area)
• Bull Pasture Trail (Ajo Mountain area)
• Arch Canyon Trail (Ajo Mountain area)
• Alamo Canyon Trail

• Puerto Blanco Drive. Another car tour featuring roadside displays on the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.  edit
• Ajo Mountain Van Tour, (meet at the Twin Peaks Campground informatin kiosk). Daily December through April 1pm. Rangers provide a guided tour on the Ajo Mountain Drive, stopping at several areas along the way to get out and explore. the tour is limited to 10 people per day, so Sign up in advance with rangers at the Kris Eggle Visitor Center or Twin Peaks Campground. Free. (,3-3.5 hours) edit

Sleep

Lodging

There is no lodging in the monument.

• Alamo Campground. 4 tent sites. No water. Reservation only, made in the Kris Eggle Visitor Center on the first day of the visit.  edit

• Twin Peaks campground, [2]. Tents and RVs up to 40'. No hookups. Running water from standpipes and in restrooms. $12.  edit

Backcountry

Due to border security concerns, the backcountry is closed indefinitely.

Stay safe

The monument is a remote, desert wilderness. Be sure to carry plenty of water both in your car and while hiking and drink regularly, even if not thirsty. If your car breaks down, stay with your car rather than attempting to find help on foot. It is much easier to find a vehicle in the desert than a person.

As mentioned above, the monument is on the U.S.-Mexico border. Due to the remoteness of the monument, it is used for illegal border crossings. Most of the persons illegally crossing present no threat to park visitors. However, there are some who use the monument for smuggling who are armed and dangerous. In 2002, a park ranger was shot and killed by a drug smuggler. The Kris Eggle Visitor Center has been named in his honor.

Visitors should be aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activities to park rangers or border patrol officers.