Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument covers over 330,000 acres of federally protected land. This eye-appealing, protected monument provides the unique forms of Sonora Desert life a place to flourish in practically ideal, semi-pristine conditions. The monument is a very necessary and beautiful natural preserve allowing one of Earth's primary ecosystems to survive and thrive. As such, it is a powerful attractant to visitors from all over. Some visitors are passers-by who are seeking a pure desert viewing experience. The monument also attracts many whose lives are based on scientific and culture studies, such as researchers, scholars, students, and academicians.

Located On Arizona State Highway 85, roughly 35 miles south of Ajo, Arizona, the monument boasts trails, special exhibits, ranger-hosted demonstrations, a slide program, and much more. The monument is closed in observance of Federal holidays from April 1 through December 31. To ensure the monument is open for your visit, or for other information call: 520-387-6849.

The Organ Pipe area achieved its national monument status on April 13, 1937. This, as it turns out, was a very prudent gesture made long before the current rapidly deepening concern for our natural resources.

The extremely rare Organ Pipe cactus (Stenocereus Thurberi) is actually more common in Mexico than it is in the United States. The Organ Pipe has lived in the shadow (no pun intended) of the much more notorious and identifiable Saguaro Cactus. In fact, they are even somewhat similar in appearance – especially to the untrained, casual viewer.

The Organ Pipe cactus is distinguished from the mighty Saguaro by its thinner stems and the branching of the plant. The Organ Pipe branches out predominately from the base of the plant, unlike the Saguaro that branches out from up higher on the trunk. To the joy of monument visitors, there are actually three species of columnar cactus inside the monument's boundaries. And, like the Organ Pipe, the Senita (Lophocereus Schottii) is not found anywhere else in the United States. The Senita also branches from the base, like the Organ Pipe. The Senita also has thinner stems with fewer ribs, and is found only sparsely, and only very close to the Mexican border.

The following is a brief excerpt from an article written by Tom Clynes for National Geographic News on January 13, 2003: "Though Organ Pipe is a backwater in the National Park system, it almost certainly leads the Park Service in number of backcountry stays. On any given night, rangers estimate, up to 1,000 people are inside the park. Nearly all of them have entered illegally across the park's 31-mile (50-kilometer) southern boundary, which also happens to be the dividing line between two nations—one with jobs, the other with people who need them."

But don’t let the article throw you too far into the fear zone. The monument is frequented by many visitors, and has a large staff working on it. If you are at all concerned, limit your visit to daylight hours and remain on the more popular hiking trails.

Closed Roads:
Conditions at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument periodically lead to closures of some roads and sections of the park. The following roads are closed to vehicle traffic until further notice.
• Pozo Nuevo
• Camino de Dos Republicas
• South Puerto Blanco Drive
• North Puerto Blanco is closed past the five-mile gate
• Ajo Mountain Drive (10/10-12/8)

Backcountry Areas:
The following areas are closed to use until further notice.
Dripping Springs area from west of Pinkley Peak to North Puerto Blanco Drive is closed to all visitor use Sweetwater Pass area is closed only to overnight use, but still available for day use.

Suggested Reading
Parks and Plates: The Geology of Our National Parks, Monuments & Seashores.
Lillie, Robert J., 2005.
W.W. Norton and Company.
ISBN 0-393-92407-6
9" x 10.75", paperback, 550 pages, full color throughout.