Desert View Trail, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Four trails start from the Twin Peaks Campground in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - a not so interesting circuit of the campground itself, a connecting route (Palo Verde Trail) to the visitor center, the interesting path to Victoria Mine, and, the most used, the Desert View Trail, a 1.2 mile loop that climbs to the crest of a low ridge, giving great views south towards Mexico, and passing many large cacti; organ pipes are plentiful, as are saguaro, though there are none of the other columnar cactus in the park, the senita, which is only found in a sheltered basin a little further south.

The Desert View Trail is a good choice for sunset, gaining enough elevation, 170 feet, to overlook many miles of the desert and so experience the setting sun on the reddish slopes of the surrounding mountains, including the Ajo Range to the east. There are several benches along the route from which to enjoy the views, and the path is fairly wide and well constructed, ascending via several flights of stone or log steps. Notices along the way give information about the animals and vegetation of the Sonoran Desert; other common plants include barrel cactus, chain and teddy bear cholla, prickly pear, ocotillo, desert ironwood and brittlebush.