Bull Pasture Trail

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

February 8, 2020

Bull Pasture Trail is located within the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Ajo, AZ. The park includes a visitor center, campground, hiking trails and 2 scenic drives. The Ajo Mountain Scenic drive which is 21 miles of graded road and the Puerto Blanco Drive which is 42 miles and is recommended for high clearance vehicles, especially if you are doing the entire loop.

Trail location and description

On the Ajo Mountain Drive, located halfway between self guided stops 11 and 12 is the trailhead for the Bull Pasture/Estes Canyon Loop. The Estes Canyon loop is a moderately traveled 2.6 mile trail that for the most part remains on the valley floor.

If you want to reach the Bull Pasture Trail you will need to hike in approximately 1.0 or 1.6 miles (depending which direction you walk the loop) where you will reach its trailhead. From there it is a .6 mile hike to the top. The total mileage for this hike is 3.9 miles with an elevation gain of 1076 feet.

Bull Pasture trail is described as a lightly trafficked loop that features awesome views, beautiful wildflowers and has an abundance of cactus native to this unique area. Specifically you will see many of the monuments name sake, the Organ Pipe Cactus (see below).

What is an Organ Pipe Cactus?

The Organ Pipe cactus is a large cactus that is rarely found in the United States, but is very common in Mexico. However, within this national monument you will experience the largest naturally growing stands of organ pipes in the US. At maturity the Organ Pipe can reach 25 feet tall and many of the plants I saw here were at least that large in diameter. Look for them on the southern slopes as The Organ Pipe Cactus prefers to receive the maximum amounts of sun and heat as possible.

The Hike to Bull Pasture

I decided to tackle this hike in a counter clockwise motion as it appeared to have a more gradual ascent. The clockwise direction is significantly more level but at the one mile mark it begins a steep climb for approximately 1.2 miles until reaching the summit at Bull Pasture.

The southern portion of the loop has less vegetative and characterized with much smaller plants. There is however still plenty of greenery and views.

It was my hope that during the hike I wold see a few of the common desert birds. Unfortunately, the birds were few and far between but I did catch a glimpse of a Black-throated Sparrow and a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher along this route.

The trail conditions were good and easy to follow. There are some rocky spots but for the most part the path is wide and well worn. The trail steadily gains elevation while leading to the back of the canyon. The unique beauty in this canyon was astonishing.

Once I reached the Bull Pasture intersection at the back of the canyon the trail suddenly became much steeper and more of a challenge. I just took my time, stopped often to enjoy the views of the valley below. After all why rush? Organ Pipe is located at the bottom of Arizona along the Mexican boarder and sort of out of the way so slow down and enjoy! It may be a while if ever that I would get back.

There were only a few hikers out today but once at Bull Pasture I met up with 6 other hikers enjoying the view. We chatted a bit, remarked on what we had seen on our journey and bantered among ourselves on if we should continue to Ajo Peak. Ajo Peak stood right in front of us and looked ominous so we decide that Bull Pasture was just fine for this expedition. However if I was to camp in the monument, I might have to give this 9.2 mile round trip hike a try. I bet the views are stunning.

After a quick picture of the conquering hero gazing off toward Mexico, Slow~LEE headed back down the mountain.

The trip down was definitely steeper for a longer distance. There was dozens of switchbacks and I found myself sliding, stumbling and stubbing my toes on rocks but I eventually I made it to the bottom and with out any falls.

The hike through the valley was completely different than the hike to the top of Bull Pasture. I was now surrounded by much taller vegetation. Cactus and other spiny plants abound, like the Octillo which although resembles a cactus is not actually a cactus. There is one behind me in the photo below. They are unique with a red flower on the tip, that the hummingbirds like but it is not a plant you want to brush up against or shake hands with.

Through this section, I also began to see more flowers as well as birds. One of the brightest flowers was the Mexican Gold Poppy.

Also new to me was the Fairy Duster which the bees seemed to love.

The Phainopepla was by far the most common bird through this section. It reminds me of a cardinal with its signature crest, but instead of being red the Phainopepla is all black with a distinct red eye. He was quite chatty and his call filled the air.

This is a great hike and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you have not fully experienced the Sonora Desert. It was still considered winter when I did this hike so there was not a lot of blooms and birds but it was still a great experience. All that means is that I will need to return in March or April and lose track of more time in the shadow of the Organ Pipe Cactus.

Slow~Lee hiking!