Organ Pipe National Park – A Desert Showcase – shenaniganswithleannagainwebdotme

Okay so it’s in the middle of nowhere, UNLESS you are traveling to Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico). Every single time we pass it I say “I wish we could stop”, but the lure of the Mexican sand beach & fresh ceviche keeps us on course. We discover our friends felt the same way so we decided to stop on the way back! The Organ Pipe National Monument is a large stand of these unique type of cactus.Similar to the saguaro this forest of organ pipes thrives in the South West corner of the Sonoran Desert. A stop at the Visitor’s Center to check in and then off to a 2 mile loop trail for an overview.The views are incredible from the top of the loop.From here you can see the border wall and into Mexico. You can’t miss it.
‘It’s easy to see where the cactus got it’s name.

Saguaro

Organ Pipe

I was surprised to see the difference in structure of the interior of the Saguaro versus the Organ Pipe.

Bonus, the Ironwood trees were in bloom creating pink patches of color.

Believe it or not this area was a large cattle ranch owned by the Gray family for a century. The last cattle taken off the land with the death of Robert Jr. Gray in 1976. It seems there is a lot left to discover so we will return, camp, and explore another day. For now we will just relish in the refreshing hike and head home.