Gorgeous desert flora in the Sonoran Desert

January 21, 2016 - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - near Ajo, AZ

We've been hiking and taking guided Ranger Tours here at Organ Pipe and have extended our stay!  Lots of beautiful desert cacti and other plant life here in the Sonoran desert.

Here's our campsite #89 with gorgeous desert sunrises and sunsets.

This area features the northernmost range of the Organpipe Cactus, which are particularly susceptible to freezes.

Then you've got your fishhook barrel cactus, prickly pear and the majestic Saguaro.

They have 7 varieties of Cholla cactus in the park, here are a few:

Braided, or chain-fruit Cholla

Pencil Cholla (about the diameter of a #2)

Teddy Bear Cholla

Other typical desert flora include Ocotillo

Pincushion cactus

Palo Verde

Pink flowering, Fairy Dusters

And the mountains in the park are pretty interesting including some rock arches in the Ajo Mountains:

And there is a mining and ranching cultural history to the area.  We hiked to the Lost Cabin Mine this morning (an 8+ mile hike).

Now on to the next adventure!