Best RV Parks & Resorts near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Primitive and far from civilization. Right next to highway 85, so there is a lot of traffic noise. Since this is dispersed there are not any facilities, but surprisingly there is little privacy. Several RVs,but no hook ups. Very close to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

While I have no complaints about this campground, it was nothing special either. As a tent camper, I was happy to have a few sites to pick from. There is a bit of cover between sites that almost gives the illusion of privacy, but ultimately I'd rather be somewhere much more secluded. Bathrooms were clean for how busy the campground was and the campground itself was kept up well. Picnic table, grill, and 'tent pad' at each site.  Seem like it would be a good place for RV camping rather than tent camping.

This campground is a nice place to stay if you are wanting to hike and explore the park. The sunset we saw was magnificent, so definitely set aside time to find a place and marvel at the days end. Stargazing was also a fantastic activity here!

The Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is such a unique place.  It was nice to be able to camp near enough to amongst the interesting cactus and larger than life rocks.   Definitely a park that it is fun to camp in, but I would suggest trying to get a more primitive, site in the Alamo campground if possible.

Convenient spot close to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. I got a little confused trying to find this spot at night, but once you find where the dirt road passes through the gate there are plenty of places to camp right there. There was only one other group there in October, but I would assume it gets more crowded during the winter months. It's a little close to the highway, so you will hear some cars passing by, but it's not too bad.

This campground is huge! The sites are well landscaped (hard to say about so many campgrounds in the desert). There is great hiking and exploring throughout and the Junior Ranger program offered badges, patches and certificates for the kids. During Covid they only had half the bathrooms open but rotated which ones from day to day. The showers were closed, however. The dump station has 2 lanes and the potable water fill and dump areas are separate allowing 4 RVs to be dumping/filling at the same time. Keep your vehicle hood up to avoid attracting pack rats. It's suggested to make reservations Dec-Mar but in November we had our choice of sites. They have an amazing map of the sites showing size which clearly outlines rv spaces and tent. The tent sites don't allow generators. No hookups for RVs but the sites allow for good solar exposure and there are water spigots all over

This is a small RV park next to the community owned golf course. Full and partial hookups and also a dry camping area. Cell signal very good and close to AJO.

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ

        , I am captivated by the desert, whether it be Mohave, Great Basin, Chihuahua or our own Sonoran Desert. I love the wide open views, the sparse flora, the equally sparse and ornery fauna, the warmth and chill of a desert morning, the majesty of the saguaro or the coarse obstinance of a Joshua Tree yucca. I feel unworthy of the sheer toughness required to accept the difficulties of residing in one of the harsher environments on Earth, and yet I enjoy the benefits of a clear, cool spring evening in one of the best government operated parks available to the American people. And more than a few people are taking advantage of it.

        This park is bargain. The entrance fee is a mere ten bucks; camping is only sixteen dollars a night. If one, like I, has an old fart pass the entry fee is waived and the camping dues are halved, a bargain by even Mr. Scrooge’s estimation. Parks run by the National Park Service tend to have fewer amenities but Organ Pipe has many including flush toilets and solar showers, trash pickup, tables, grill stands, ramada shading and full RV sites, some with pull-through accommodations. Not available are cell phone service and wifi in the campground although weak wifi is sketchy but possible at the visitor center.

        One thing of note is the campsite patrol pairing, an older couple driving around in one of those odd little two-seater carts with a truck bed, policing the recently vacated campsites The woman checks out the site picking up any pieces of left-over trash while the gentleman, get this, sweeps the tent pad with a broom. I don’t know if they are paid part-time or volunteers but they do their work cheerfully and effectively and the tent pads and campsites look positively pristine. Not bad for eight bucks a night.

        I even managed to sneak in shower, yes, a shower, at one of the restrooms that has a solar shower, there being three such in the campground. It’s kind of a different experience since the solar heater doesn’t really get warmed up until midday, so earlier than that the showerer might expect to get a coolish sort of shower. Mine was tepid at best. Plus, the showers are push button for both a higher and lower shower nozzle. You push the upper button to receive about 5 seconds of shower. Several pushes are needed to get suitable wet. Lather up, push a button to rinse, then lather again, push a button to rinse, lather up, push the lower button to rinse. The lower nozzle may be for kids but works perfectly fine for washing one’s backside. All in all, it takes a bit longer to get clean but eventually gets the job done.

        The park offers desert hiking at its finest with many longer or shorter hikes through the amazing Sonora desert landscape and a teeth rattling ten mile drive to an oasis hard on the Mexican Border, Quitobaquito Spring. Quitobaquito is a miracle in the southern desert, It’s a spring fed lagoon, hard on the border of Mexico, maybe an acre in size and maybe 4 to 7 feet deep. It is fed by a spring putting out about fifty cubic feet per second of fresh water and is inhabited by various waterfowl (a squadron of coots on this day) and a population of desert pupfish, little bitty guppie-like piscines that only live in this particular pond in the dez, kind of like the pupfish that live in a small pool in Death Valley. The question have is how the hell did they get there. For further info: https://organpipehistory.com/orpi-a-z/quitobaquito-springs-2/. It is a marvelous oasis in the desert.

        I stayed 3 nights at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and should have stayed a week. I love this park and will be back.

This is a cozy (read: tight spaces) park to stay in to catch up on laundry and get your RV chores done. It’s also nice that it’s in town and you can easily walk or bike out and explore the small cute town of Ajo(pronounced Ahh-ho, not Ay-ho). Keep in mind that being in town on a main road, this is not a quiet serene park. The noise from the neighboring auto repair business was extremely loud during the day, and there is car noise from the road outside the park. 

Rates per website are$28/night but it says they offer Escapees, Good Sam, AAA, or Passport America discounts(though they do not appear not the PA website). Passport America is usually 50% off so we expected to pay $14, however, when we asked about it they said they offer too many discount programs to keep track and they simply discount everyone to $25/night. So in other words, the rate is $25. 

In all the BLM desert land we have stayed in, we have never heard coyotes so loud and close as we did at this RV park. They seemed to be howling from all directions here. Watch your dogs here, though the manager of the park has a small dog that runs loose with him. 

Park advertises itself as being pet friendly, but there is no dog park or dog walk in the park. We walked our dogs out to the street to go potty to avoid them going potty in front of someone’s space. 

Our spot only had a 30 amp outlet, but judging by the number of large 5th wheels and toy haulers there I believe 50 amp is also available. Pull through and back in sites both available. 

Park has wifi and cable. 

Bulk propane available at $3.50/gal. 

Laundry room was clean, one shower under construction and the other was dirty- would not use. Showers were 2.5 min per quarter, or 4 quarters at once for 10 minutes. No change or soap machine available, quarters available from manager per sign. 

There are water and sewer hookups at each site, or there is a dump and water fill available as well. If not staying at park, dump is $7, water is $5, or both for $10. 

Large trash trailer bin available, as well as a can for aluminum and a can for plastic beverage containers. 

Good verizon signal, though cell service almost unusable in the evening due to high usage in the area. AT&T signal was weak but usable. 

Pro tip: the Chevron across the street has a little separate food service establishment in the convenience store where you can get pizza, burritos, breakfast burritos, fresh baked cookies, etc to go! The pizza was surprisingly great! IGA grocery store also in easy walking distance.

LOVED this park and fantastic campground! I drove in for a long weekend with my 2 girls and we camped out in my minivan. This is a truly beautiful, magical and unique park. We spent 2 nights in a pull thru rv space nearbathrooms with showers! I told friends it was like camping in a desert botanical garden - we were surrounded by cacti and shrubs instead of another vehicle right on topof us.

This is a very nice location central in the small city of Aho.

There is a large space behind the lodge for DRY camping. The charge for staying here is listed as a recommended donation. The area for camping is a bit tricky to get into as it requires backing in and making a 45 degree turn, but there is room for full size class A or truck with trailer. I Have a 24" trailer and there was also two Class A RVs there with additional towed vehicles. Parking lot is well lit.

Nice area behind the lodge for a dog walk along the old railroad tracks. Wi-Fi is available to lodge members in and near the building. I had T-Mobile and Voice coverage was Great, but data was roaming which was used up if a couple hours.

The town is only a very short walk from the Gallery which has a Market, Café , thrift shop, art gallery and Public Library (which has free computer access and Wi-Fi) Wi-Fi Can also be access from outside the library 24/7.

No big box stores or fast food in town, but there is Olsen's Market/Ace Hardware, Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores.

The Staff and Members of the Lodge are very friendly and food is served several nights a week. The American Legion has Dinner to the Public on Fridays and is only about a mile away. The Copper mine is well worth the view and the Museum is very interesting. (operates on donations).

I stayed here  a couple days and when I needed to dump and fill fresh water, I went for the weekend at Organ Pipe National Park which was about 45 minutes away (Reviewed separately). then returned to the Elks Lodge for a few more days before leaving. There are also several RV parks and gas stations nearby where you can dump and fill Propane tanks.

This may not be in the Boondocks, but sometimes I like camping out near the convenience of civilization like the laundry mat near by.

I was here in December and the City Christmas decorations on the street lights were a nice reminder Christmas was near.

This is the most sterile and organized campground I've ever encountered, overall, it isn't my style of camping. There are plenty of RV sites with full hookups, spots are organized so it is simple to get the right size spot. If you arrive after hours, there is a list of assigned and available sites for the night. Bathrooms are full amenity and very clean. The area is remarkable however. Good for road and gravel cycling and very photogenic.

We van camp so we got an RV spot. We put up a screen room and that was okay with rangers since it did not have a floor. You may need to clarify with park ranger. Our site did not have a tent pad. Very pretty with good bathroom locations.

General: 208-site campground. No hookups but sections are separated into tent-only, generators allowed, and non-generator sites (which we were very happy to see!). Only four sites can accommodate RVs up to 45 feet; otherwise, there is a 40-foot limit. 

Site Quality: All are level and have generous-sized concrete/macadam pads (except for the tent sites which are all gravel). Although the sites are close together, there is ample foliage separating them. 

Bath/shower house: I never expect showers in National Park Service campgrounds so was pleasantly surprised to find showers here (in three of the restrooms). Otherwise, the restrooms were basic but clean. 

Activities: There is a.9-mile perimeter trail that allows leashed pets and the 1.3-mile Palo Verde Trail that leads to the Visitor Center from the campground. The 21-mile one-way dirt Ajo Mountain Drive is considered the most scenic area of the park but trailers, buses, and RVs over 25 feet are not permitted on this road. There are a few short hikes off of this road. You can also drive a loop around the area, but four-wheel drive is recommended. The night sky is stunning here and there is a telescope pad. The hour-long evening ranger talk was both interesting and well-attended. The Visitor Center was also a wealth of information.

Note: As others have mentioned, when we arrived, we were instructed to leave our hoods up to discourage the pack rats. Not a problem and we didn't see any,

Quiet, peaceful and majestic. The sky at night is so full of stars. The cacti are taller than my rig. There are many hiking trails. The rangers have lots of educational opportunities. There is no electric but you can use your generator during specific hours. There are water spigots throughout the park however there's only a fresh water threaded water hookup at the RV dump station. My cell signal was minimal, I was roaming off Mexican cell towers however I did have calling via satellite. I was able to use solar and generator power. Definitely a place I'd return to, I'd love to explore here more.

We feel like we found a jewel at Organ Pipe Monument. It was recommended by a fellow camper so we decided to try it out. The campground offers about 100 RV and 20 Tent only sites. It stits on a low hilltop with views of the surrounding area from many camp sites. The RV sites are level, paved and can accommodate large RVs. The sites are large and well groomed with paths to restrooms and water spigots. There are no utilities at the site but each has a table and barbeque. There are several trails leaving from the park. One highly used trail circles the entire campground providing the best views of sunrise or sunset. The cactus found in this part of the desert are amazing to see. We found something new to do everyday, the remains of a turn of the century ranch, a day trip into Mexico only a few miles south and many long and short hikes. We were there in the busy winter/spring months but found this park had space available on short notice. Too hot for us during the summer this is a great fall to spring retreat. All sites were good but we found those located near the north end of the row to be slightly larger with the best views. This park is located in a very senic desert that left plenty to explore on our next visit.

Great place to stay. No hookups so go when the weather isn't hot and you need a/c. Great 4x4 roads to explore the rugged but beautiful scenery!

This park is set in such a beautiful backdrop. The sunsets are amazing. No hookups but there is a dump on your way out. Make sure you hike to the mine!

10-18 to 10-19-21 lot of spots to select from. Filled up water tank as we entered park. The have propane and clean showers also.

Stayed in the area without hookups, many spots to choose.

Very quiet and peaceful. Could hear coyotes off in the distance. We weren't planning very long there but we will be going back for a week or two soon. Loved the area. Surprisingly peaceful. They have all kinds of games and get-togethers for seniors.

We spent six days here in early March.  It was $10/night with our National Parks Pass.  All sites have a picnic table and grill.  No hook ups, but there is a dump station and water fill.  There are trash receptacles throughout the campground and several restrooms, some with solar showers.  The campground hosts do a great job keeping the campground spotless.

Several hiking trailheads are at the campground and get you up close with the desert landscape.  Great place for stargazing.  Seeing the border wall was interesting.

We stayed here one night over Veteran’s Day weekend and enjoyed the beautiful views, sunsets and the surprisingly cool 21-mile Ajo Mountain Drive.

Pros:

• Great bathrooms, very clean!
• At off-season, it was nearly deserted. Very nice and quiet
• Nice Visitor’s Center
• Nice tent pad sites

Cons:

• This campground is close to highway 85 and the traffic is ALWAYS audible
• No campfire rings; apparently you can have an off-ground fire pit but I saw nowhere online that that was an option
• Most campsites have zero shade. In the desert, this is a big deal for making it through the hot parts of the day, even in the fall/winter months
• In the off-season, many bathrooms were closed

This was a wonderfully refreshing stay in Early December. Reservations not required at this time, but are starting season on January 1st at recreation.gov. All sites were pull through and paved. This is a dry camp site, but there is access to get fresh water and there is a dump station that also has access to fill your fresh water tank. 

For those interested in cellular access, I had T-Mobile LTE coming off Mexico tower. My plan includes Free Unlimited data in Mexico

Wish there were more dog friendly trails, but that’s a park issue. Nice, level, paved , large sites. Generator area and hours. Neat visitor center within 1.5 walkable miles. Quiet, beautiful place. Be sure to take a drive😊