This pleasant small town appears lost in a sea of desert. It's 10 miles northwest
of Why and 42 miles south of Gila Bend. The town's name (pronounced "AH-ho")
may have come from the Tohono O'odham word for paint; Native Americans collected
copper minerals here to use in painting their bodies.
Prospectors
settled as early as 1854, but Ajo didn't really get going until the dawn of the
20th century, when suitable ore-refining techniques became available. The New Cornelia
Copper Company began operation in 1917 and was later bought by Phelps Dodge. Squeezed
between low copper prices and high costs, Phelps Dodge shut down the mine and smelter
in 1985, but retirees and winter visitors helped soften the blow to the town's economy.
Graceful palms and flowering trees surround the Spanish colonial-style plaza and
many public buildings downtown. Greenery and trees also decorate the miners' tiny
houses.
Sights
The New Cornelia Open Pit Mine just south of town ranks
as one of the world's largest at 1.5 miles across and 1,100 feet deep. A tiny visitor
center, usually open daily from October to April, has a few exhibits and a copper
mining video at the overlook. From downtown, turn southwest on La Mina Avenue, then
turn right on Indian Village Road and follow signs. Continue a bit farther to
Ajo Historical Museum (520/387-7105, about noon-4 p.m. daily, Oct.-April) and
its diverse collection of mining, mineral, home life, and Native American exhibits.
Native American workers once lived in this part of town, and the museum building
served as St. Catherine's Indian Mission from 1942 to 1968.
Recreation
Ajo Country Club (520/387-5011) offers a nine-hole golf
course and a restaurant open daily for breakfast and lunch. It's seven miles northeast
of town via Well and Mead Roads.
Information and Services
The Ajo District Chamber of Commerce
(400 Taladro, Ajo, AZ 85321, 520/387-7742, www.ajochamber.com,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., shorter hours July-Sept.) is on the main highway one block
southeast of the plaza. Si Como No ("yes, why not") sells regional
books and topo maps as well as gifts and clothing at 207 Taladro, just southeast
of the plaza. Many businesses in town advertise Mexican insurance. Ajo's post
office and public library are on the plaza.
The 860,000 acres of desert wilderness west of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
hasn't changed much since white people arrived. The region has no facilities or
paved roads. Desert bighorn sheep, for which the refuge was founded in 1939, and
the endangered Sonoran pronghorn receive protection here. Wildlife and vegetation
resemble those in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, but they endure a harsher
climate. Cabeza Prieta's annual rainfall averages about nine inches in the east
and three inches in the west, with some areas going more than a year without rain.
Twelve small mountain ranges rise above the desert floor. The recent severe and
extended drought has caused a serious decline in the number of Sonoran pronghorn,
so much of the refuge and some adjacent lands may close to public vehicle entry
during the fawning season of March 15th to July 15th.
The
Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge visitor center (1611 N. Second Ave., Ajo,
AZ 85321, 520/387-6483,
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/cabeza/index.html,
7:30 a.m.-noon and 1-4:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri.) provides information, permits, wildlife
exhibits, and a large selection of video programs.
Routes
Only jeep tracks and remnants of the old El Camino del Diablo
("The Road of the Devil") traverse the landscape. Allow at least two days
to cross the refuge on the roads between Ajo and Wellton; distance is 124 miles
one-way, 59 miles in the refuge. An alternate connecting route, the Christmas Pass/Tacna
Road from I-8, allows a shorter journey. Or you can do a longer trip from Ajo via
the Tinajas Altas Mountains and come out at the I-8 Foothills Boulevard exit near
Yuma.
If you'd like a taste of Cabeza Prieta, drive to
Charlie Bell Pass in the Growler Mountains, just 20 miles (two hours) west of
Ajo. High-clearance two-wheel-drive vehicles can make this trip. With luck, you
may see pronghorn on the plains and desert bighorn sheep in the mountains. The road
ends at the pass, where you can hike down the other side or up into the hills.
You can also approach the refuge from Yuma by heading south from I-8 Foothills Exit
14 or the more frequently used branch south from near I-8 Wellton Exit 30. These
sandy roads connect near the Tinajas Altas Mountains, and it’s possible to
make a loop on them in a long day. A connector road over Cipriano Pass provides
another loop option. On the road from I-8 Foothills Exit 14, you can detour to
Fortuna ghost town and see where miners dug millions of dollars worth of
glittering gold between 1896 and 1904. Water held a far greater allure for most
people crossing the desert, though, and the only reliable source for many miles
lay in the nine natural pools of the Tinajas Altas ("high tanks").
At the lowest pool you'll be standing on the very spot where many Native Americans,
Spaniards, and 49ers have stood in a life-or-death search for water. Padre Kino
passed this way around 1700 and called the pools Agua Escondido ("hidden water").
The lowest pool is an easy walk from the road. The steep and slippery streambed
is dangerous to climb, but you can bypass it by scrambling up the slope to the right
and descending to the upper pools; you'll see where people have gone up this unsigned
route. The pools aren't signed either, so look for a short track to a parking area
on the south side of the I-8 Foothills Exit 14 road just 1.8 miles from its junction
with the Wellton Road. Note that there are two branches of the road across the Tinajas
Altas here; you want the southern one.
Permits and Precautions
Visitors must obtain a permit for entry, sign
a liability release for the military, and carefully follow regulations—it's
especially important not to approach any ordinance or other military hardware. You'll
need a four-wheel-drive vehicle for all but the Charlie Bell Pass road, as anything
else will get stuck in the loose sand. Because 93% of the refuge is managed as wilderness,
vehicles must stay on specified roads. Be aware that Cabeza Prieta's rough roads
can be very hard on vehicles. Heavy brush can scratch up vehicle paint ("Arizona
pin-striping"), though this isn't a problem if you're just driving to the Tinajas
Altas Mountains from the Yuma area. Carry desert travel supplies and at least two
days' worth of extra water. Three campsites on the way have tables and grills, but
you're not restricted to these. Be sure to talk with a refuge officer before your
trip to find out current conditions, then let someone know your intended route.
Illegal aliens have become a major problem in the refuge, and you may encounter
them as well as Border Patrol agents; it's not recommended to leave your vehicle
out of sight. Summer temperatures can be downright dangerous. A single permit covers
both Cabeza Prieta and surrounding military land. Before heading onto military land,
you must telephone authorities with your proposed route and dates; if the coast
is clear, you'll get permission.
A good map and directions
will be valuable—this isn't a region to get lost in!
Three other agencies also provide the permit—the Bureau of Land Management's
Phoenix Field Office (21605 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027, 623/580-5500), Luke
Air Force Base, Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, Range Operations (Gila Bend, AZ 85337,
520/683-6200), and the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station (Range Management Dept., Box
99160, Yuma, AZ 85369-9160, 928/269-3402).