Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, A Desert Sanctuary
June 2021
The Beauty and Rupture of Organ Pipe
Visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was an absolute must for us. We didn’t mind the long drive from Tucson to reach this remote corner of Arizona, right on the edge of Sonora, Mexico. It’s actually the northernmost spot where these cacti can survive. The history here is deep, too. President Roosevelt first protected the area back in 1937, and by 1976, Congress had designated nearly the entire monument as a wilderness area.
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We explored the park both by car and on foot. We started with the Ajo Mountain Drive, which is a 21-mile loop with some of the most incredible views of Organ Pipe and Saguaro cacti you’ll find anywhere. The Organ Pipes really do look like the pipes of a grand church organ. We also hiked the short 1.2-mile Desert View Trail to get a great view of the different flowering cacti scattered across the Sonoran Desert.
But as we walked, the border wall was impossible to ignore. It’s more than just an eyesore because the construction has left a devastating footprint. About 22 archaeological sites were destroyed, and countless native cacti, old-growth trees, and desert shrubs were cleared away. Even worse is what it does to the wildlife. Species like the Sonoran pronghorn and desert bighorn sheep now have their migration routes completely cut off.
We left with an appreciation for the desert’s resilience, but were saddened by the damage done to this protected land. Organ Pipe is a beautiful, vulnerable sanctuary, and I just hope it can survive the madman’s scar.