サンアンドレス山脈のおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

As you ascend the high desert the views start to open up around you. From here you are around halfway to the pass!

The trail disappears about a half-mile from the summit and you switch to following the arroyo and scrambling up some loose terrain to get to the top. It is good to bring the digital map with you as the GPS route is quite good. The peak sits at 8,753 feet, just shy of the height of Organ Needle, and the views are phenomenal in all directions.

The trail up to the saddle has some easy scrambling. From here on to Organ Needle you will pass the crux, a small steep scramble with a rope to help hikers up and down. If you are reasonably fit and comfortable with easy scrambling then don't let the crux deter you! It is quite manageable and the rewards from the summit are well worth it.

This rocky road leads you on a long approach to the Organ Mountains. You can climb the Tooth and the Organ Needle from here. The hike from La Cueva is nicer (and shorter), but the La Cueva lot doesn't open until 8am and for the aforementioned hikes you will want to start much earlier than that. Make sure you bring plenty of water and good navigation for the upper parts of the trail, and have fun!

There is an old building at the spring that used to be a part of the Ruby Mine. From here the trail gets a little bit steeper as you head up the second half of the road to the mine.

Here the ruins of Ruby (Hayner) Mine lay strewn about the end of the trail — old pieces of machinery, buildings, and abandoned mineshafts. This is one of five mines in the National Monument, though its history seems mostly lost to time.

There is a day use fee for the Baylor Pass Trail ($3 as of 2024). You can camp at Aguirre Spring or park and hike from here. There is a little shaded picnic table at the trailhead with views out across the desert.

This is a great turn-around point if you are hiking the Baylor Pass Trail. You can also head up toward Baylor Peak to an overlook or the summit itself. The pass tends to be quite windy so hold onto your hats!