Postcard from Organ Pipe – The Double Arch

In March, my friend and fellow professional photographer Dave Forester and I made the trek to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument near the Mexican Border. You have already seen some of the photos we took that day as we were on the lookout for desert wildflowers.

But along the way, on this rather rough dirt road in the back country, we ran into a rarity in this part of the Southwest…an arch. Of course, arches are not unknown here, just a rarity this far south. What was also fun, was that I got to photograph it centered right above a rare Organ Pipe cactus. While not rare inside this National Monument, they are a rarity everywhere else as about 98% of all Organ Pipe cacti are located here.  In fact, the only other two Organ Pipes I have ever seen are on the campus of the University of Arizona in a special desert garden. 

But what make this arch so unique, as you can see from the second photo, is that on top of the large arch is a smaller arch. Now, I saw a spectacular double arch in The Arches National Park in Utah, but it was not sitting on top of another arch. This little arch out here in nowhere, just a few miles from Mexico, is quite a find. 

I nicknamed this arch “Rabbit Arch” as the rock formation inside the arch looks like a rabbit at rest, complete with ears.   I recommend you go see it if you are ever in the vicinity, but be prepared for a very rough ride.