Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument · Arizona

Visitor Center Nature Trail

0.1 mi of trail, end to end · 1,675 ft–1,680 ft

Visitor centers

1,680 ft 1,676 ft · 0.1 mi high 1,680 ft

Along the way Kris Eggle

See Endangered Pupfish Along the Visitor Center Nature Trail the Park Service's write-up

15-30 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Visitor Center Nature Trail

Older man and young girl look into a small pond outside of the Kris Eggle Visitor Center.
At the pond, keep an eye out for pupfish, dragonflies, tadpoles, and even the occasional coyote! Photo: NPS Photo/ Craig Stocks

Distance: 0.1 mile (0.2 kilometers)

Difficulty: Easy

Next to the Kris Eggle Visitor Center is a 1/10 th of a mile paved nature trail that loops by a small pond and showcases native Sonoran Desert plant life. The trail begins by the parking lot and loops around to the back of the visitor center.

Pets are allowed on this trail.

A Refuge for Endangered Quitobaquito Pupfish

The visitor center pond, affectionately known as “La Ciénaga" or "desert oasis," is home to the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish. This small fish is only found in Quitobaquito Springs , in the southwest corner of the monument, and in the Rio Sonoyta, a small Mexican river drainage directly south of the international border. Since this unique fish naturally exists in only one location within the United States, a second habitat was created and set aside as a refuge for this endangered species. This pond was designed and built in 2005 by 160 science students from Ajo Middle School.

Accessibility The Visitor Center Nature trail is a flat, paved trail that is 3 feet in width and accessible by wheelchair. Trail is 1/10th of a mile (0.16 kilometers) long.

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.