Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, large desert area in southwestern Arizona, U.S. It is situated along the Mexican border, its northern boundary about 15 miles (24 km) south of Ajo by road. The cities of Yuma (northwest) and Tucson (east-northeast) lie about 140 and 185 miles (225 and 300 km), respectively, from the monument. Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge adjoins the monument to the west and northwest, and the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation bounds it to the east. Established in 1937, it was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1976. The monument, with an area of 517 square miles (1,339 square km), preserves segments of the rugged Sonoran Desert. It is named for the organ-pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi), which is found in large stands in the United States only in this locality and is so called because its branches resemble organ pipes. Park headquarters and a visitor’s centre are located in the southeastern portion of the monument, about 5 miles (8 km) north of the border town (within the monument) of Lukeville.

The region’s landscape consists of several ranges of mountains and hills interspersed with broad and relatively flat valleys. The relief rises to its highest elevations in the Ajo Range along the eastern boundary, reaching 4,808 feet (1,465 metres) at Mount Ajo. A small, permanent, spring-fed pond is located at Quitobaquito in the southwest corner of the national monument; otherwise there are no perennial waterways. However, several intermittent streams within the boundaries can quickly become raging torrents during and after the often intense thunderstorms that occur during the summer monsoon period (July–September). Winters are cool and pleasant, with high temperatures in the 60s F (about 18 °C), lows of about 40 °F (4 °C), and frequent light rain showers. Springs and early summers are dry, with high temperatures climbing as the days progress toward summer. Summers are hot, and the air becomes more humid during the monsoon. High temperatures exceed 100 °F (38 °C) on most days from June through August.

In addition to organ-pipe cacti, numerous other desert plants are found in the monument, including desert ironwoods, ocotillos (flowering spiny shrubs), saguaros (large candelabra-shaped cacti), creosote bushes, and the rare elephant tree (Bursera microphylla). In years when there is adequate rainfall during the winter and early spring, wildflowers bloom profusely between February and April. Typical mammals include desert bighorn sheep, javelinas, coyotes, a variety of rodents (notably kangaroo rats), and the endangered Sonoran pronghorn (a type of antelope); the occasional puma (mountain lion) may also be sighted. Among the numerous birds that can be seen in the monument are northern cardinals, Gila woodpeckers, cactus wrens, and several species of hummingbirds. Common reptiles include desert tortoises, chuckwallas, venomous Gila monsters, and several species of rattlesnakes. Scorpions, tarantulas and other desert spiders, and the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon eremus) are among the smaller creatures found there.

The monument is accessible via a north-south road that bisects its eastern portion before continuing on into Mexico from Lukeville. Facilities are minimal, with no restaurants, service stations, or accommodations (other than camping) available within the monument. Most visitors come during the cooler winter months. Driving or cycling on the scenic drives and hiking to historic sites (e.g., former ranches and mines) are popular activities. A portion of El Camino del Diablo (“Devil’s Highway”), the historic Spanish route along which hundreds of miners and pioneers lost their lives, crosses a corner of the monument and can still be traveled by four-wheel-drive vehicles.