Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument doesn’t look like much. However, it’s stunning once you get off the beaten path.
My friends and I took an impromptu trip there when we relied the weather in Utah was nasty. We had planned a back country trip up there but on a whim changed plans to visit Organ Pipe Cactus park instead.
I have drove through this park many times on my way to the beach in Mexico. I always wanted to stop but never did. Honestly, from the road this park does not look like much.
There are two campgrounds, we chose the more primitive, Alamo Canyon Campground. This has an outhouse, garbage bins, picnic tables, and several camp sights. Our trip was brief, only one night, but enough to make me realize I need to come back.
We setup camp and did some sunset photography. Then I we waited for the sky to go dark. Our trip had been to photograph some of the most beautiful dark skies. Oregon Pipe Cactus did not come up on the list as a place to visit, however, rivaled all those famous locations in Utah with dark skies. You can see more of the stars here than I ever imagined.
Unfortunately, we had little time to stick around and adventure more. Alamo Canyon is the sight of an old ranch you can hike down the canyon and view remnants of what remains. I’d love to go back and do just that as well as adventure down some more of the park’s remote trails.
Additionally, there is an adjacent park on the Mexican side of the boarder. I have briefly visited there and would love to go back and adventure more there as well.
