favorite itinerary: visiting organ pipe cactus national monument

child hiking a canyon trail in the desert — kiddo hiking in organ pipe cactus national monument

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my friends, i have a new favorite national park service site: organ pipe cactus national monument. we had some major snafus while visiting this extraordinary biosphere preserve and yet i am still completely taken by its magic. have you ever heard of this far southwestern arizona national monument? i cannot rave enough about this gem. organ pipe cactus national monument is truly a national treasure!

organ pipe cactus national monument is in the sonoran desert, which benefits from two rainy seasons. and though it’s still desert, it’s called the “green desert” for good reason. this park is absolutely teaming with a diversity of flora. it honestly stunned me. seriously, friends, i teared up multiple times on our first hike because it is so dang beautiful!

the organ pipe cactus is rarely found in the united states - organ pipe cactus national monument is really the place to see them. this monument is also an international biosphere preserve, and there are other species that can only be found in this part of the country, including the endangered sonoran pronghorn. there are so many special moments to be found here. for example, when the wind blows, the organ pipe cacti needles hum. they not only look like organ pipes, but they actually make music! i cannot recommend enough that you add organ pipe cactus national monument to your southwest trip itinerary!

cactus ribs surrounded by desert plants including ocotillo and organ pipe cactus — organ pipe cactus ribs at organ pipe cactus national monument

land of the tohono o’odham

the land presently known as organ pipe cactus national monument is the indigenous homeland of the tohono o’odham. the tohono o’odham nation continues to reside and thrive in the area. while we learned so many fascinating facts about how the tohono o’odham use mesquite and tepary beans, as well as other desert resources, I was naturally taken by the uses of cactus. here’s a favorite thing we learned:

“early spring was called ko’oak macat (the painful moon) by the tohono o’odham becaues of scarce food supplies. during this season, they turned to cacti for food and pit-roasted thousands of calcium-rich cholla flower buds. today’s o’odham people still pit-roast or boil the cholla buds, which taste like asparagus tips.”

what to bring to organ pipe cactus national monument

like any desert, exploring organ pipe cactus national monument calls for hydration and sun protection, no matter the season. a few things we alway bring for any desert hike:

sunscreen: this one is our favorite. it’s spa 50 and we like the mousse because it’s easy to apply, but you can also get the lotion or the mist.

water bottles: kiddo uses this camelpak on all our hikes. my current favorite water bottle is this one from wondery.

other sun protection: we recently purchased this buff for kiddo as a multi-use item. it protects his neck from sun but can also be worn in a myriad of ways, based on need. we most often use it as a headband! i wear a wide brim hat that i purchased from a shop years ago, but similar styles can be found here and here.

good shoes: the desert is fully of prickly things. i highly recommend sturdy boots (and not hiking sandals). kiddo currently wears these hiking boots. i have high arches and am always alternating between boots. my two favorite pairs these days are these and these.

sunset in the desert with saguaro and mountains with an orange sunset background — sunset on ajo mountain drive

a note about camping in organ pipe cactus national monument

i highly recommend camping in organ pipe cactus national monument. the monument is right on the us/mexico border and there are very few services in the surrounding area outside the park. organ pipe cactus national monument has two campgrounds - the larger twin peaks campground, as well as the tiny, more primitive alamo campground. we camped at twin peaks and really loved it. it’s just one mile from the organ pipe cactus national monument visitor center, is accessible to several trails, and is just steps from the amphitheater where ranger programs are held.

i recommend 2-3 nights in organ pipe cactus national monument so you can see the top sites and take in the best spots. here’s our itinerary for two days in organ pipe cactus national monument.

2 days in organ pipe cactus national monument

you certainly could spend one day in organ pipe cactus national monument and see a lot. if you only have a day, use the day 1 itinerary as your complete guide to organ pipe cactus national monument.

day 1: one day in organ pipe cactus national monument

child hiking a desert trail at golden hour — kiddo hiking arch canyon trail

visitor center: start at the kris eggle visitor center. be sure to check out the garden in back to get a close up look at a saguaro boot! note, this park has a desert ranger program, rather than a junior ranger program, but the swearing in and badge are just like you’d expect from other parks. not gonna lie, it was fun to partake in activities more geared for adults, and i got a badge, too!

ajo mountain drive: make your way just across the road from the visitor center to ajo mountain drive. this 21 mile winding, scenic road has 18 stops with an interpretive map. also be sure to grab the desert ranger guide to find the cristates, a crest-like anomaly in cacti, throughout this section of the park!

hike arch canyon: just past stop 10 on your drive you’ll come to the arch canyon trailhead parking. at 1.2 miles and marked “easy to moderate” you might be tempted to think this is a quick stop. i would consider this hike to be on the more strenuous side as a significant portion of it is quite steeps and requires scrambling. also note, there are a lot of cairns on this trail that may seem helpful but ended up leading us hours off trail. we were in a very near dangerous situation with no more water and the sun going down before we finally found our way back to the trail. be sure to download a map in advance as there is no reception in this area! and please, never build cairns. they are ecologically damaging and not always helpful to fellow hikers. all that said, if you stick to the trail, it’s a lovely adventure that’s mostly shaded in the afternoon.

hike estes canyon: between stops 11 and 12 is a picnic area with restrooms, as well as the trailhead for estes canyon and bull pasture. enjoy a picnic lunch to refuel between your hikes. the estes canyon loop is about 3 miles. if you’re feeling up for it, you can add on the bull pasture spur for an additional mile that’s quite strenuous. from there, finish up the rest of the scenic drive, including my personal favorite part, the cholla forest!

evening ranger program: after you’ve gotten some rest and dinner, head over to the amphitheater where the park hosts a ranger program most evenings. the program we attended was about how the ecosystem has changes over millions of years. we learned a ton, including the fact that this section of desert as we know it is younger than the humans who have occupied it!

day 2: two days in organ pipe cactus national monument

child hiking a desert trail with different kinds of cactus — kiddo hiking the desert view trail

puerto blanco drive: this 41 mile drive circles the puerto blanco mountains and offers the opportunity to visits multiple springs and an oasis. there are also several hiking opportunities, but be mindful that this drive is much longer and your time on trails may be limited.

hike dripping springs mine: though the spring is a nice area to take in some cool air, the real gem of this hike is the extraordinary views! this is another trail that requires a map as it’s not well marked and the cairns can be misleading. after your hike continue on to golden bell mine or bonita well for a picnic lunch.

visit quitobaquito spring: after lunch, continue your drive and make a stop at this pond that was once part of a prehistoric trade route. there are several endemic species here, as well the sonoyta mud turtle, which can only be found here in the united states. finish up the drive from there!

hike desert view trail: after you refuel and get some rest, i highly recommend taking a golden hour or sunset hike on the desert view trail. accessed from the group sites at twin peaks campground, this was our favorite hike in the park. it’s a really lovely place to take in the scenery, learn about the various plants and just enjoy a gentle farewell to this special place.

i sincerely hope this guide to organ pipe cactus national monument encourages you to visit go out wild and explore this special place. it exceeded all my expectations and i had very high hopes going in!