Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
About
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southwest Arizona protects over 330,000 acres of Sonoran Desert. Conveniently located as a day or overnight trip from Phoenix and Tucson, Organ Pipe Cactus has some of the darkest and most accessible night skies in the country.
Park staff began work towards a dark sky designation in 2016, and since then have collected months of night sky quality monitoring data, updated over 100 lights around the visitor center and campground, hosted annual star parties and frequent outreach events in nearby communities, presented more than 100 astronomy evening programs and telescope viewings within the park, and began an astronomer in residence program in 2025. The International Dark Sky Park certification marks a huge milestone for the protection of nocturnal ecosystems within the park and represents the community’s continued advocacy for dark sky conservation.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is open to the public 24 hours a day 365 days per year, with visitor center operating hours changing seasonally. Campsites are available through recreation.gov and ranger programs are offered regularly during the winter season. Find out more information and plan your visit at www.nps.gov/orpi.
Area
1,335 km²
Designated
2026
Category
International Dark Sky Park
Address
10 Organ Pipe Drive
Ajo, AZ 85321
Google Maps
Contact
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
[email protected]
520-387-6849
Michael Rymer
Community Program Manager
DarkSky International
+1 (520) 347-6365
[email protected]
Website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrganPipeNPS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organpipenps/
