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Alamo Canyon Campground sits nestled at the base of the Ajo mountains in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. This primitive campground provides scenic views of the surrounding mountains and Sonoran Desert, along with spectacular night sky viewing and peaceful quiet.
Along with photography and birding, hiking is ideal here. There is a .9 mile point to point trail that leads into Alamo Canyon from the campground. Beyond the campground there are miles of hiking trails laced around Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, some easy, others more strenuous. Always carry water and snacks, and avoid hiking during the hottest parts of the day. Stop at the Kris Eggle Visitor Center for recommendations.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument exhibits an extraordinary collection of plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. This is a showcase for creatures who have adapted themselves to the extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, and little rainfall that characterize this Southwest region. Thirty-one species of cacti have mastered the art of living in this place, including the park's namesake and the giant saguaro. Here, the life of the Sonoran Desert is protected and allowed to flourish under nearly ideal wilderness conditions. The monument is an outstanding natural preserve where one of the Earth's major ecosystems survives almost unspoiled.
Lukeville Port of Entry to Mexico - approximately 18 miles (29 km) south of Alamo Canyon Campground following SR 85. Gas is available. Historic Ajo, AZ - approximately 26 miles (42 km) north of Alamo Canyon Campground following SR 85. Gas, restaurants, shops, an art gallery, and groceries are available.
$16 / night
Legend
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.
Legend
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.
TravelerConvenient 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.
GuideSaturday, 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.
RangerWe've really enjoyed our two nights of tent camping at the Twin Peaks Campground. Cost is $20/night regardless if you're tent camping or RV'ing. Campground has designated tent area (some with ramadas) that adds to peaceful desert experience. Hiking trails available from campground. Flush toilets and showers available. All around a great experience.
RangerThis 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
LegendGeneral: 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,
Legend
Fair warning that I didnt actually get to stay at this campground, it was full already. It has a very small amount of campsites, so not a place to count on without a reservation. But if you are lucky enough to get a reservation, the campground looks great!
When we checked out the campground, for future plans, (yet to be realized ;) ) it was a super quiet, almost secluded setting. I think the noise level varies with who else is camping nearby, but I would imagine it is usually people looking for a more backcountry experience than they would get at a normal campground. We did not see water or fire pits.
If you want a backcountry camping experience that is a little less daunting this is the place for you! Lots to see in the park and then you can retreat back to your spot in nature!
This campground is on my list of places to camp in Arizona on a future visit :)
GuideThe campsite is huge with dedicated RV sites as well as tent only drive in sites all surrounded by the desert and an amazing variety of Cacti. Several Bathrooms, a small library exchange and great hiking options, The loop hike around the campsite is especially worth it.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerWe 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:
Cons:
TravelerWe 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.
GuideWe love it here and will be back. It’s very clean and there are lots of opportunities for recreation including stargazing and trails. Will be back.
GuideEverything here is just the way you want it good space between sites generators have to shut down at 6:00 p.m. and beautiful stars
ScoutWish 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😊
ScoutGreat hikes, beautiful sunsets and spacious sites.
GuideVery quiet. Dark sky. Nice bathrooms. Huge picnic table with large covering.
TravelerVery busy but nice campground. Had some great hiking on the edge of the campground which was a plus.
TravelerWe 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.
TravelerConvenient location in the middle of the National Monument. Late Check-in was easy, camp hosts very nice and the restrooms clean and well kept.
GuideWe stayed 2 nights here and it was very beautiful. Sites are close together. Lots of trails off the campground. Wish there were more that allowed pets. Had a nice visitors center and a amphitheater with evening shows. Generator hours limited but it wasn’t too hot in beginning of April. Highly recommend.
LegendGet a full tank of gas before leaving Gila Bend !!!!
We had a good site looking south to the Sonoran Mountains and to the border area.
The facility is fine but the threat of packrats proved to be too much pressure; and, the lack of interpretive signage is a barrier to understanding this area.
Let's start with the rats--- the threat cannot be ignored-- or ignored at the peril of damage to your vehicle.
This area attracts hummingbirds.
ScoutWhat you would expect of a national park campground. Clean, well maintained easy access, and quite. Good hiking great for kids.
Cons sites are close together. Little privacy and limited shad.
GuideSemi private sites with cactus and other desert plants between sites. Quiet except for the guy next to me listening to audio books. Pull through concrete drives. Some of the restrooms have showers. Was very nice. Not hot but warm enough. Dogs allowed on some of the trails.
GuideClean, quiet and very easy to pull your camper in/out. excellent hiking nearby and surrounded by pristine desert.
ScoutFun campground with great desert flora and fauna! It’s a pretty big campground and the spaces are kind of close together so definitely not the most private of places. There are lots of restrooms with running and and some solar showers as well. Lots of trails to hike right of the campground as well! Overall a nice campground.
GuideOrgan Pipe Cactus NM is a treasure, and for a couple of working full-timers, this campground was perfect.
We spent a long weekend here in site 24, which had a beautiful, unobstructed view of the sunset each night. Solar was ripping, even in February, and would be in any of the campsites. Nice picnic table and paved, level driveway made this feel a notch or two above most NPS sites. The dump station we only used once, but was looking brand new and worked perfectly.
Quirk: packrats are pretty rampant here, so folks keep their hoods open and anyone who spends more than a night or two lights their undercarriage to scare the little guys away.
The campground is ringed by trailheads. A couple of roads give plenty of space for cyclers. It's a beautiful, beautiful spot. You're pretty far from groceries, so you'll wanna stock up before you come in.
Tent camping near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stunning desert landscape while enjoying the tranquility of nature. With a couple of well-reviewed campgrounds in the area, you'll find the perfect spot to set up your tent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is Alamo Canyon Primitive Campground — Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument with a 3.8-star rating from 4 reviews.
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