Puerto Blanco Loop - Organ Pipe NM, AZ

Overview
The Puerto Blanco Loop is a drive through the western part of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The loop is mostly a one-way, counter-clockwise drive and is 37.5 miles long.


Etymology
The Old Spanish Trail crossed the border in this area and went through a mountain pass descriptively known as Puerto Blanco, or White Pass -- there were two white rocks on either side of the pass.
Source: Arizona's Names (X Marks the Place), by Byrd Howell GrangerDrive
The drive begins at the north end of Puerto Blanco Drive which is at a signed turn-off of Highway 85 for the Visitors Center. This is about 5 miles north of the border between the United States and Mexico. Turn west on Puerto Blanco Drive, and right away you'll pass by the Visitors Center.

After 5.3 miles you'll come to the Pinkley Peak Parking Area. Up to this point, the road is two-way: however, beyond this point the road is one-way and you'll be committed to driving the remaining 32+ miles of the loop.

You'll continue past the Pinkley Peak Parking Area, going north for a couple of more miles (7.3 miles total from Highway 85). Then the road makes a left turn and you'll be heading in a westerly direction. As you continue you'll see the Puerto Blanco Mountains to your left and the Bates Mountains to your right. You'll pass by the Dripping Springs Trailhead which will be on the left side of the road. That would be a good place to stop and hike on the Dripping Springs Trail.

At about the 16-mile mark, the road will curve to the left and you will be going in a more southerly direction. At the 24-mile mark, you will almost be in Mexico; here the road goes to the left and you'll be traveling southest for the remainder of the loop. On this stretch, most of the time you will be very close to the border wall separating the United States and Mexico. After driving for 37.5 miles you'll once again come to Highway 85, about one mile north of the border.

At a minimum, it is recommended to have a high-clearance vehicle to drive on this road. It would be safer and give you some peace of mind to have a 4WD vehicle, especially if the road is wet. There are no services of any kind on the drive, and cell phone reception is spotty at best. Given that, it would be prudent to take along some food and water in the event that you have car problems.

Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, this is a pleasant and scenic drive and is well worth doing at least once.

Warning
In 2002 a park ranger, Kris Eggle, was shot and killed by members of a Mexican drug cartel who had crossed the border illegally. In the aftermath of this murder, this portion of the OPCNM was closed for 12 years. This is not likely to happen again, and the situation here is probably not worse than in other places in southern Arizona, but it is something to be aware of.

2024-01-30 DixieFlyer