Rambling RV Rat: Visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

We left Quartzsite on a gorgeous Spring day, dumped our waste tanks, put in fresh water, and headed onto I-10. I marveled at the wildflower blooms that adorned both sides of the highway lanes. Traffic was heavy, but thankfully, we didn’t need to take I-10 through Phoenix. Outside of Buckeye, we turned on to AZ-85, passing through Gila Bend. Once a stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach route, Gila Bend is home to the Space Age Lodge and Restaurant, a Roadside America attraction. We continued through Ajo, an old copper mining town. The now defunct New Cornelia Open Pit Copper Mine can be seen from the highway, and boy it is HUGE!

A Spanish-styled church in Ajo

The open pit mine from afar...

...and a close-up. A wide array of colors in that earth!

As we approached the entrance to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, I spotted the crested saguaro that friend Ruth told us about. Some pretty scenery around here.

A birdie sits on the top of the saguaro in background.

The crested saguaro friend Ruth told us about.

Some funny-shaped saguaro--they've got lots of arms.

We proceeded to Twin Peaks Campground, which has no hookups. There is, however, a dump station, and water spickets are located throughout the campground. Though fairly large (200+ sites), it is well designed. Sites are designated for specifically-sized rigs, tents, and even generator usage. They are all beautifully and naturally landscaped, providing privacy and desert ambiance. We were fortunate to land 1 of only 4 sites to fit extra big set-ups (45+ feet). All campground roads are one-way, making entry and exit into the sites a piece of cake.

After setting up and partaking of lunch, we hiked the Palo Verde Trail over to the Visitor Center. Much to Mom’s dismay, the Park offers no film, but they do have a Junior Ranger Program for me! We perused the Center and walked along the nature trail.

One of the hundreds of Organ Pipe Cacti for which the Monument is named.

You're looking at a newly-deputized Jr. Ranger of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Returning home to the campground just as sun was setting.

We attended 2 interesting interpretive programs presented by park volunteers.

The first program was about the restoration of Quitobaquito Springs. Used as a water source along a prehistoric trade route, it represents the second largest year-round oasis in the Sonoran Desert. During its first 10,000+ years, it was all marshland, used by many indigenous tribes. In the 1860s, local merchant Andrew Dorsey created a clay-based pond and dam for watering the fig and pomegranate trees he planted. Since then, there were further changes and much degradation, threatening the lives of 3 endangered species who call the Springs home. Therefore, a coalition of stakeholders—land managers, policy makers, scientists, and representatives from the Tohono O’odham Nation—came up with a plan. To benefit the endangered species, they decided to bring the Springs back to the 1860s pond. They were successful in their endeavor and completed the project in 2022, though for the life of me, I can’t believe they used a giant PLASTIC LINER to replace the pond’s clay base! It’s now like a freaking swimming pool! But, alas, what do I know—I am just a cotton-brained stuffed rat.

Now, the second interpretive program was of major interest to me. You see, it was dedicated to my distant cousins: pack rats!

I learned that they live in middens, chambered fortresses built in cacti, under rocks, etc. They reside under cover because they are terrified of the open sky and what predator may be lurking! (This fear is why you should always leave the hood of your vehicles open overnight in areas where pack rats are prevalent. Failure to do so may result in these rodentia feeling safe enough under the darkness of your hood to enjoy a smorgasbord on your vehicle wires!).

Replica of a pack rat's midden.

The female pack rat is the midden Matriarch. She lives alone, passing her “real estate” down to her daughter. The Matriarch is an avid collector. She builds and decorates her digs with things found in her travels (twigs, shells, feathers, rocks, garbage, leaves, scraps of cloth, etc. She has rather eclectic taste in decor). She adheres her treasures to her walls with her unique version of 3M Command Strips: her urine! Scorpions and brown recluse spiders will often “rent” space in the pack rat midden. Pack rats do not drink water, but rather hydrate through eating succulents. What a fascinating program! And I realize more each day how this world is entwined and woven together so intricately. It is easy to understand why Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is names by the United Nationals Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a biosphere reserve.

During our visit to the Monument, we also hiked the Victoria Mine Trail, from which you can view the border wall between the U.S.A. and Mexico.

Sign along the Victoria Mine Trail since we were within 5 miles of the international border.

Can you see the U.S.A./Mexico Border Wall in the background?

I wonder if this lizard is an illegal border crosser?

Sadly, if the border wall existed in 2002, perhaps Ranger Kris Eggle would still be alive. Instead, Ranger Eggle was slain in the line of duty by illegal border crossers smuggling drugs into the U.S.A. The National Park Service erected this monument at the Visitor Center in memory of Ranger Eggle.