Puerto Blanco Drive, a 41-mile loop, runs parallel to the border and provides access to the Pinkley Peak picnic area, Dripping Springs and Quitobaquito Springs. These are a great option if your vehicle isn’t suitable for the roads, or if you just prefer to let someone else do the driving while sharing their expert knowledge. You can sign up at the visitor center for a free, three-hour ranger-led van tour of Ajo Mountain Drive (availability is limited). ![]() Pick up a free guidebook at the visitor center before taking the drive. No RVs over 25 feet are allowed on the road. The park’s most popular scenic drive, Ajo Mountain Drive, follows a mostly one-way gravel road that twists and dips as it leads up into the mountains and past impressive stands of cacti. If your RV is your only vehicle, ask a ranger about suitable driving routes. ![]() Be aware that not all park roads are suitable for RVs, and some require a high-clearance vehicle. Scenic drives are a must-do visitor activity at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and the best way to take in multiple diverse habitats in a single excursion. This is the northernmost range of the organ pipe cactus, impressive specimens that resemble a pipe organ with multiple narrow arms reaching skyward. Look out for varied cactus species, the park’s most iconic plantlife. You can do this on scenic drives, day hikes, or bike excursions. Admiring and photographing the desert scenery – creosote-strewn lowland plains, rocky canyons, and the volcanic Ajo Mountains as a backdrop – is the main visitor activity. The primary tourist attraction at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is the landscape itself, along with its unique flora and fauna. (Why and Ajo are both small towns with limited shopping options.) Along with an RV rental, it’s a good idea to get supplies for your trips in Phoenix or Tucson, too. Out-of-towners planning an RV road trip to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument can rent an RV in Phoenix upon arrival in the city. The closest major cities are Phoenix, 127 miles northeast of the monument, and Tucson, Ariz., a similar distance to the east. It’s approximately 25 miles north of Kris Eggle Visitor Center on Highway 85, and the slightly larger Ajo, Ariz., 34 miles north of the visitor center. The spot became known as “The Y,” and the spelling was changed when residents petitioned for a post office. The unusual name comes from the fact that at one time, two major highways (Highway 85 and Highway 86) intersected in a Y. It is 6 miles north of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Southern Arizona, 30 miles north of the Mexican Border and 10 miles south of Ajo. It’s a small rural community on the Western border of the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation. As a reward for venturing off the beaten path into Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, you can enjoy unrivaled serenity and memories of nights spent under dazzling star-filled skies. However, services and amenities are limited, so you’ll need to be somewhat self-sufficient. RV sites are readily available inside the park and in nearby communities. It has even been declared an international biosphere reserve by UNESCO.Įxploring this remote and unspoiled landscape does come with some challenges, but with a little planning and a sensible approach, there’s no need for apprehension. ![]() A stunning Sonoran Desert habitat, famous for its namesake organ pipe cactus, saguaros, cholla, and other hardy flora, also makes the national park an amazing place to go RVing. The National Park Service describes Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument as a place “where summer spends the winter.” The park’s location in southwestern Arizona, where the scorching hot climate tempers to agreeable in December, January, and February, certainly makes it a desirable RV road trip destination for snowbirds.
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