Alt Text

Map of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. This trapezoidal park shows the topography in shades of green and brown. The areas outside the park boundary are pale tan.

Extended Description

The park is square on the top and left edges. It angles down in a straight line across the bottom, and the right edge ripples in and out to follow the Ajo Range and Sierra de Santa Rosa. The park shares a border with Mexico to the south.

State Route 85 and the Powerline Corridor enter the park at Monument Entrance Wayside in the northeast corner, and both reach beyond the southern border. On its way there, Route 85 passes Ajo Mountains Wayside; an access road branching off to Alamo Canyon Campground, which has a primitive campground; Old Country Road Trail; Tillotson Peak Wayside; and, near the bottom of the map, the Kris Eggle Visitor Center. A gray box enclosing the area around the visitor center has a note reading, “See detail map below.” An access road within that square leads to a wheelchair-accessible campground.

The one-way Ajo Mountain Drive departs Route 85 near the visitor center and angles up to the northeast. The drive creates a loop around the Diablo Mountains and passes three picnic areas, one with pit toilets. Arch Canyon is near the northern tip of the loop, and the Bull Pasture and Estes Canyon-Bull Pasture Trails are on the southeast side.

Another road departs from the visitor center and heads west. North Puerto Blanco Drive, which is partially one-way, arches west and then south, eventually making a loop with South Puerto Blanco Drive along the southern border. North Puerto Blanco Drive passes Red Tanks Tinaja Trails, which in turn lead to the Victoria Mine; a picnic area with pit toilets; Dripping Springs Mine Trail; the Puerto Blanco Mountains; Golden Bell Mine with a picnic area; and Bonita Well with a picnic area and pit toilets. The road meets South Puerto Blanco Road near the southwest corner, which then connects to Route 85 near the southern edge of the park. An access road travels north off South Puerto Blanco Road to reach the Sonoyta Mountains, Senita Basin, and the Red Tanks Inaja Trails.

Outside the Puerto Blanco Drive circuit, the Quitabaquito Hills, Cipriano Hills, Bates Mountains, Growler Valley, and Valley of the Ajo line the western border, and the Valley of the Ajo leads up to the northern border. Sonoya Valley angles down into the southeast corner of the park. A few unimproved dirt road winds across Growler Valley, passing Pozo Nuevo along the way north to Bates Well, north of Bates Mountains. Another unimproved dirt road continues off where South Puerto Blanco Drive meets Route 85 to pass Gachado Line Camp and Dos Lomitas Ranch, which are on the US and Mexico border.

Legend

A scale in the lower left corner of the map measures distances of 1 and 5 kilometers and 1 and 5 miles.

A legend below the scale reads as follows:

For the Arizona Upland Community, darker green for Jojoba/Evergreen scrubland, and

Lighter green for Mixed cactus/Palo verde.

For the Lower Colorado Valley Community, brown for Mixed scrub,

Tan for Creosote brush, and

Yellow for Saltbrush.

Then black solid line for Graded dirt road (25-foot vehicle limit,

Gray, wide-dashed lines for Unimproved dirt road,

Black narrow-dashed line for Hiking trail, and

Dark red square for Historical site.

To the right of the legend, a column of symbols represent Picnic Area, Self-guiding trail, Wheelchair-accessible, Wheelchair-accessible campground (40 foot RV limit), and Primitive campground.