Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
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Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument |
Contact Information:
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
10 Organ Pipe Drive
Ajo, AZ 85321
520-387-6849
http://www.nps.gov/orpi/
Size: 330,689 acres.
Location: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located in southern Arizona, along the Mexican border. From the north (I-8), follow AZ 85 through Ajo and Why. The Monument is 35 miles south of Ajo and 22 miles south of Why.
Description: Sonoran Desert plants and animals found nowhere else in the United States are protected here, as are traces of the Camino del Diablo Historic Trail. Included among the flora and fauna are the organ pipe cactus, saguaro, elephant tree, and creatures such as the kangaroo rat and javelina that have been able to adapt themselves to extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, and little rainfall.
Activities: Visitors to the park can enjoy camping, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, auto touring, and interpretive programs. The park offers two scenic loop roads: the 21-mile Ajo Mountain Drive, which winds along the foothills of the Ajo Mountains, offering outstanding views of desert landscapes and impressive stands of organ pipe cacti; and the 10-mile Puerto Blanco Drive, which passes along Pinkley Peak. Several trails offer close looks at the desert, including the Desert View Nature Trail, the Estes Canyon-Bull Pasture Trails, and the Victoria Mine Trail. The best hiking months are October through April.Operating
Hours: The
Visitor Center is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm, except on federal holidays between April 1 and December
31. If you visit between October and April, you can expect sunny days in the 60s and 70s F and occasional light rains. From May through September temperatures often exceed 105 F and brief, violent thunderstorms sometimes occur. Nights are considerably cooler than days year-round.
History: Proclaimed on April 13, 1937. Wilderness designated on November 10, 1978. Designated a Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
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See other Arizona National Parks
