Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
In February 2021 Sheila and I decided to visit Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Sheila had not visited the monument since the 1980’s and I had not been there since the 1970’s. In fact my only real memory from that trip was being in an RV my dad rented and listening to the newly release Grease Lightning sound track on an 8-track cassette my sister had just purchased.
The drive to the monument was very easy and took about 2 ½ hours from Phoenix. The Monument is beautiful. The desert, although very inhospitable in the summer, was extremely lush in February. If the area had received more rain during the winter months, it would have been even better. Yes, I know February is still technically winter, but in Arizona, especially along the border, it is more like spring.
On our first day we hiked out toward Alamo Canyon in the north east end of the monument. The hike was quite easy and the trail was in great shape. We ended our hike at a historic corral left over from the ranching days prior to the monument being established. In the evening we hiked up the Desert Vista trail near the campground to watch the sunset.
The second day we got up early to attempt some astrophotography. Things did not go very well for images, but I did get a nice time lapse video which you can see in the YouTube video linked above. After breakfast we headed out to explore the east side of the monument. There is an approximately 26 mile one-way dirt road that loops through this area of the monument. Along this road there are several trailheads if you want to stop and do some hiking. Once again, that evening we hiked up the Desert Vista trail to watch the sunset. This time I setup a time lapse of the sun setting. This view point is really a great place to watch the sunset and take pictures. From the top of the ridge you can see quite a bit of the monument and into Mexico.
During our final full day at the monument we headed out to the northern end to do some exploring. At the end of the two-way road section there is a nice parking area with some ramadas, picnic tables and restrooms. We parked there and headed out to explore the area. Unfortunately, the light was really harsh so I didn’t get any good photos. I did, however, find some good compositions to come back to on my next visit to the monument.
Overall, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a great place to visit. Yes, there are issues with migrant immigration and drug smuggling along the border and through the monument. The truth is that these folks will do everything they can to avoid populated and popular areas. Basically they are trying not to be seen, so the last thing they want to do is walk through a campground or hike along an established trail. Personally, neither Sheila or I felt unsafe in areas around the campgrounds, established trails and roads. If you do visit, you might want to avoid traveling through the very remote areas in the monument by yourself and/or at night. But don’t let this stop you from visiting.
Thank you for reading. If you have any other tips or suggestions, please let me know.