Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument · Arizona

County Road Trail

8.0 mi of trail, end to end · Hike the Historic Old County Road!: 8 mi one way in the Service's write-up · about 80 ft of climbing · 250 ft of descent · 1,768 ft–2,001 ft

1,965 ft 1,768 ft · 8.0 mi high 2,001 ft

Hike the Historic Old County Road! 8 mi one way · the Park Service's write-up

3-5 Hours · no dogs · entrance fee applies · reservation required

Start Old Country Road

A dirt road meanders past organ pipe and saguaro cacti towards a small mountain.
Enjoy the quiet wilderness as you hike a historic wagon road. Photo: NPS Photo/Cate Blanch

Enjoy scenic views as you explore an old wagon road through the Sonoran Desert! The Old Country Road Trail (also known as Old Sonoyta Trail) stretches 8 miles in between Alamo Canyon Road and Ajo Mountain Drive. This old trail used to stretch from Ajo area to the town of Sonoyta in Mexico. The majority of this road eventually became what is now Arizona Highway 85, but this peaceful section of the historic road remains for visitors to enjoy! The trail meanders along the eastern side of the monument, with wonderful views of Tillotson Peak and the Mt. Ajo. A cristate saguaro cactus may be seen along the trail, 1 mile from the southern trailhead on Ajo Mountain Drive.

This trail is 8 miles one way and makes a great day hike; having two cars stationed at both ends of the road is recommended. The trail is relatively flat but crosses several washes. It’s both a great trail for hiking and running, and is wonderful if wanting some precious alone time in the wilderness.

Distance: 8 miles (12.8 km) one way

Difficulty : Strenuous

Elevation change : <100 feet (30.5 m)

Accessibility The trail is a relatively flat dirt and gravel trail that dips across several rocky washes. Vegetation growth may make the trail narrow in some areas.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 25 trails in Organ Pipe Cactus National MonumentFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.