Organ Needle, the highest point in the Organ Mountains of south-central New Mexico, rises sharply from the surrounding landscape and is widely regarded as one of the state’s most striking summits. At the southeastern end of a narrow ridge called The Needles, its steep, pointed form is shaped by vertically jointed granite, specifically quartz monzonite. The peak towers about 4,000 feet above the edge of the Tularosa Basin in just 2 miles and roughly 5,100 feet above Las Cruces. Although relatively close to the desert floor, it is a serious climb that requires difficult route-finding, about 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and a hard scramble rated class 3+ or 4.