Introduction Vital information Phil's log

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument celebrates the life and landscape of the Sonoran Desert. Here, in this desert wilderness of plants and animals and dramatic mountains and plains scenery, you can drive a lonely road, hike a backcountry trail, camp beneath a clear desert sky, or just soak in the warmth and beauty of the Southwest. The Monument exhibits an extraordinary collection of plants of the Sonoran Desert, including the organ pipe cactus, a large cactus rarely found in the United States. There are also many creatures that have been able to adapt themselves to extreme temperatures, intense sunlight and little rainfall. There are two scenic drives that penetrate desert country. Ajo Mountain Drive, 21 miles (33.8 km) winds along the foothills of the Ajo Mountains, the highest range in the area. Outstanding desert landscapes and impressive stands of organ pipe cactus are among the highlights of this tour. The drive takes about two hours. Puerto Blanco Drive, 53 miles (85.3 km) circles the colorful Puerto Blanco Mountains and passes through a startling variety of scenery. This trip takes half a day. In addition, there are severals walks and hikes offering close looks at the beauty of the desert. Acreage 330,688.86 Federal 329,316.31 Non-federal 1,372.55 Wilderness area 312,600.00

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Directions	From the north: follow AZ 85 through Ajo and Why. The Monument is 22 miles (35.4 km) south of Why. From the east: follow AZ 86 to Why, then turn south on AZ 85. From the west: follow I-8 to Gila Bend or I-10 to Buckeye, then turn south on AZ 85. From Mexico: drive on Mexico Route 2 to Sonoyta, then north to Lukeville.
Operating hours	8:00 am to 5:00 pm	open all year, Closed December 25
Admission fees	Adults	USD 4.-- per car
	Kids 99 and under	free
	Cards honored	Golden Eagle, Golden Age, Golden Access Passport
Address	Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument Rt 1 Box 100 Ajo, AZ 85321
Phone	(520) 387 68 49
Fax
Email	orpi_information@nps.go
Official home page	http://www.nps.gov/orpi/
Other links	Desert USA GORP Great Outdoor Recreation Page American Southwest Area parks network List of movies filmed in Organ Pipes Cactus NM

Phil's visit to Organ Pipes Cactus
Date	Wednesday, August 30 2000
Arrival	9:30 am
Departure	11:40 am
Time spent	2:10 Hrs
Accommodation	Marine Motel 1966 North 2nd Avenue Ajo AZ 85324 Phone (520) 387 76 26 Cost per night USD 40.85 Distance from park 25 miles Travel time to park 0:30 hrs
After hiking the Desert View Nature trail, a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) roundtrip near the camp ground, I did the Ajo Mountain Drive. This scenic drive offers some beautiful views of the desert as well as some great organ pipe cactus. After completing this drive, I decided that Puerto Blanco Drive, although passing thru a slightly different landscape, would in general probably just be more of the same, so I left Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and headed for Tucson.
My pictures of Organ Pipes Cactus NM

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