What to See and Do
Hiking and Biking
Bull Pasture/Estes Canyon Loop Trail
Located next door to the Ajo Desert Zone, the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument provides two exceptional trails. The first is the Bull Pasture/Estes Canyon Loop Trail. The trail begins as an upward climb into the Ajo Mountains, where hikers find 360-degree panoramas that take in the entirety of the mountains and into Mexico. The return trip takes hikers through Estes Canyon, crossing many washes.
Length: 3.6 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Organ Pipe Cactus and Mines Loop Trail
The second quality hiking trail is the Organ Pipe Cactus and Mines Loop Trail. This trail leads into the desert to two mines — the Baker mine and the Milton Mine. The path moves up and down steep draws, across saddles, and along flat desert areas filled with organ pipe cactus. Along the way, hikers ascend as much as 2,000 feet before descending back to their initial trailhead.
Length: 10.4 miles
Intensity: Moderate
Climbing
The two best rock climbs near the Ajo Desert Zone are Montezuma’s Head and Mount Ajo. Of the two, Montezuma’s Head, with a 600-foot vertical climb after a grueling approach, is the most challenging, and Mount Ajo is a bit easier, with a scramble of 400 feet to reach the peak.
Wildlife Viewing
The list of Ajo Desert Zone wildlife is among the most impressive found anywhere in the world. The list runs from exotic insects like tarantulas, scorpions, and the Pepsis wasp to cold-blooded animals like the Gila monster, desert tortoise, and diamondback rattlesnake. Warm-blooded animals are just as exotic, with bobcats, javelina, and rock squirrels being the most abundant. Anna’s hummingbird, Gila woodpeckers, cactus wrens, and elf owls populate the skies, flitting about in colorful patterns.
Picnicking
While there are no picnic tables within the boundaries of the Ajo Desert Zone itself, picnic tables are placed in several nearby locations. The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument provides picnic tables near many of its trailheads, and the Sonoran Desert National Monument offers many picnicking areas inside its campgrounds.
Stargazing
Far from any significant city, the night sky is fantastic in the Arizona desert. In this area, it is easy for anyone to see how light pollution reduces visibility. The closer you get to Tucson or Phoenix, the more the lights of the cities interfere with stargazing.
