Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument? Find the best tent camping sites near Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
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.
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
Scout
Nice place, plenty of Sitzes, yet only few neighbors. Getting there is bumpy (unpaved road) but with any passenger car doable.
ScoutAstonishing place in magnificent landscape! Plenty of sites, spacious and large distance to neighbors. Only a handful of other campers. Absolutely clean and easy to access with and car/van
Guide
I love how out of the way this campground is and how small. The sites are kind of close together but there are shrubs so it’s mostly private.
I have SOS service on my phone.
Make your reservations before you get to the park. Unlike me. I was lucky to snag my spot.
TravelerBeautiful area, great spot to enjoy the desert.
Anyone looking for a drone?
Legend
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,
LegendLarge CG but many sites are just jammed together. I had claustrophobia just driving thur a lane or two. Never seen such a nested tight cg like this. Went back out to free BLM dispersed where my nearest neighbor was 500 ft away.
LegendSmall CG, only 4 sites. No RVs, TTs allowed. Vault toilet, trash bins, but no water and no cell signal. 3 miles of graded gravel road from hwy. $16/$8 senior. Need to pay at visitor center or online but with no cell signal... Guess a good spot for a Starlink neighbor! Sites are close together in a tight circle... Limited privacy.
Legend
Camping area next to a big picnic area shelter. The original poster had pin at the ajo county dump which maybe is not far off in spirit! Note you need a permit to camp here...but guess you have to call the park folks. Cost and camping stay limit not clear on signs but office noted camping permit is free at office and camping limit is 14d but flexible.... Sign notes no alcohol.
Traveler
Nice little park in Why -- because why not? :) Nothing really in Why -- a gas station, convenience store and breakfast/lunch restaurant. But it's a short (and beautiful) drive to the national monument and Ajo, if you need groceries or other supplies. Simple gravel pull-throughs. Not sure how really big rigs would do, but my little Casita snuggled in just fine with a decent amount of room around. FHU and decent cell service. Paid $30/night in cash. Nice view of the sunset and starry skies.
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.
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.
GuideClean, quiet and very easy to pull your camper in/out. excellent hiking nearby and surrounded by pristine desert.
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.
RangerQuiet besides the main highway traffic. You can go further back away from the road. Would come back.
GuideSpacious galore! Wonderful! Easy to find, and can park right off the road if desired! Lovely cactus… all around! What a blessing!
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.
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.
LegendStayed here for a night in mid April 2022. I arrived around 5:30 PM and was able to get set up and collect enough wood for a fire. I found a level spot with an existing fire ring. There were a few other campers around but this place has a lot of space so I didn’t notice the neighbors. It was cloudy and a full moon but I could imagine the skies get super dark here. I would stay here again.
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.
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.
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.
TravelerVery busy but nice campground. Had some great hiking on the edge of the campground which was a plus.
LegendBig open area with some shrubs, cacti and washes. There is LOTS is space here so plenty of room to spread out but bc of the low nature of most of the plants there isn’t a ton of privacy. You prob won’t be alone but you won’t need to be right next to someone either.
Mostly level area, great roads. Everyone around was quiet and respectful. Saw a few coyotes while we were here and heard them yipping throughout the night. Very peaceful and close to Organ Pipe National Monument.
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.
GuideVery quiet. Dark sky. Nice bathrooms. Huge picnic table with large covering.
TravelerArrived an hour before sunset. Far enough from the road to be nice and quiet. Plenty of company but very spread out. Clear night and the stars were awesome.
ScoutGreat hikes, beautiful sunsets and spacious sites.
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.
