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Although Arches may appear harsh and unchanging, the desert ecosystem is continually evolving. Weather, climatic shifts, and geologic processes continue to shape this environment as they have for millennia.
More recently, human-caused factors such as air, noise, and water pollution; land disturbance; and introduced nonnative species have had a much greater impact on natural resources world-wide. Arches' naturally dark night skies are also impacted by electric lights in nearby communities.
The undeveloped landscape of Arches provides an ideal place to study how various environmental factors affect desert ecosystems, and predict what changes might be expected in the future.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Dinosaur National Monument, Glacier National Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Obed Wild & Scenic Rivermore »
Parks are home to some of the last remaining harbors of starlit skies—some practically untouched by light pollution. Stay up late and discover the night on any visit to a park! Or check out this list of ten favorite places to stargaze.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Natural Bridges National Monumentmore »
In a world where excess light is wiping out our views of the stars at a startling pace, parks can protect natural darkness. But do nighttime visitors support the changes parks must make to bring back dark night skies? We didn’t know until we asked them.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Amistad National Recreation Area, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Thicket National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, Buffalo National River, Cape Cod National Seashore, Capitol Reef National Park, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Channel Islands National Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, City Of Rocks National Reserve, Colorado National Monument, Congaree National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Denali National Park & Preserve, Devils Tower National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Everglades National Park, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Gateway National Recreation Area, Glacier National Park, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Great Basin National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Home Of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site, Homestead National Historical Park, Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, Hot Springs National Park, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, Lowell National Historical Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Monocacy National Battlefield, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, Niobrara National Scenic River, North Cascades National Park, Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, Olympic National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Padre Island National Seashore, Petersburg National Battlefield, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Pinnacles National Park, Pipestone National Monument, Prince William Forest Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rock Creek Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, San Juan Island National Historical Park, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Shenandoah National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Voyageurs National Park, Weir Farm National Historical Park, Wind Cave National Park, Women's Rights National Historical Park, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Offices:Air Resources Division, National Natural Landmarks Program, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate
Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on a model to predict mercury risk park waterbodies: Kotalik, C.J. et al. 2025. Ecosystem drivers of freshwater mercury bioaccumulation are context-dependent: insights from continental-scale modeling. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07280
Locations:Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Good, clean water is essential for healthy ecosystems--for people, vegetation, and animals--making it one of the most important resources in the semi-arid west. The Northern Colorado Plateau Network and its partners monitor water quality in 8 national parks in Utah and Colorado to help scientists and managers conserve these resources. This article summarizes 2019-2022 water quality data and how they compare to state standards.
Locations:Acadia National Park, Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Amistad National Recreation Area, Antietam National Battlefield, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Arches National Park, Assateague Island National Seashore, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Badlands National Park, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Hole National Battlefield, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area, Big Thicket National Preserve, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Biscayne National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway, Bryce Canyon National Park, Buffalo National River, Cabrillo National Monument, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Cape Cod National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Cape Lookout National Seashore, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Catoctin Mountain Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chamizal National Memorial, Channel Islands National Park, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Congaree National Park, Coronado National Memorial, Cowpens National Battlefield, Crater Lake National Park, Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve, Cumberland Island National Seashore, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Death Valley National Park, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Devils Postpile National Monument, Devils Tower National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Dry Tortugas National Park, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Effigy Mounds National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Everglades National Park, Fire Island National Seashore, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Union National Monument, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Glacier National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Grand Portage National Monument, Grand Teton National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Basin National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Jewel Cave National Monument, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, John Muir National Historic Site, Joshua Tree National Park, Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Lava Beds National Monument, Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Missouri National Recreational River, Mojave National Preserve, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Muir Woods National Monument, Natchez Trace Parkway, National Capital Parks-East, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, Niobrara National Scenic River, Noatak National Preserve, Obed Wild & Scenic River, Olympic National Park, Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Padre Island National Seashore, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Pipe Spring National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, Redwood National and State Parks, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rock Creek Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Shenandoah National Park, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve, Tonto National Monument, Tule Lake National Monument, Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Voyageurs National Park, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, White Sands National Park, Wilson's Creek National Battlefield, Wind Cave National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Birds of the desert southwest, a climate-change hotspot, are among the most vulnerable groups in the US. To help park managers plan for those changes, scientists evaluated the influence of water deficit on landbird communities at 11 national parks in Utah and Colorado. The results will help land managers to focus conservation efforts on places where certain species are most vulnerable to projected climate changes.
Locations:Arches National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Scientists from the Northern Colorado Plateau Network travel thousands of miles each year to collect data on plants, soils, and water across network parks. But it would be impossible to cover every square inch of the Northern Colorado Plateau with boots on the ground. Instead, we simultaneously monitor the parks with boots in space—satellite data that provide information at a much broader scale.
Locations:Arches National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Channel Islands National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, White Sands National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change.
Locations:Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Amistad National Recreation Area, Arches National Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Bandelier National Monument, Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, Big Bend National Park, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Capulin Volcano National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, Chiricahua National Monument, Colorado National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Dinosaur National Monument, El Malpais National Monument, El Morro National Monument, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Fort Davis National Historic Site, Fort Larned National Historic Site, Fort Union National Monument, Fossil Butte National Monument, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Glacier National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historical Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Montezuma Castle National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Navajo National Monument, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Pecos National Historical Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Petroglyph National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River, Rocky Mountain National Park, Saguaro National Park, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Tonto National Monument, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Tuzigoot National Monument, Walnut Canyon National Monument, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site, White Sands National Park, Wupatki National Monument, Yellowstone National Park, Yucca House National Monument, Zion National Parkmore »
Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021.
