U.S. National Parks from Space
In 2016, the U.S. National Park Service celebrated 100 years of stewardship of America’s natural and historic treasures. Many of those monuments, scenic rivers, parks, and historic sites are visible from space—where the views are just as compelling. On this page we have collected some of NASA’s best images of National Parks and other federal lands, along with stories of earth science in those parks.
An Earth Observatory Collection
Far from large urban areas, Great Basin National Park offers unencumbered views of the night sky and opportunities to study…
The Bear Gulch fire spread through dense forest and filled skies with smoke in northwestern Washington state.
The remote and rugged landscape in central Colorado is known for outdoor recreation by day and exceptional stargazing by night.
Two lightning-ignited fires near the Grand Canyon became large and destructive in July 2025.
The glacier-covered Alaskan peak has a history of frequent, large avalanches.
A layer of salt called the Paradox Formation played a crucial role in the formation of thousands of arches within…
The national park west of mainland Florida includes a smattering of islands, but the vast majority of the park’s acreage…
The volcanic features and otherworldly landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve are apt training grounds for…
A national recreation area and state park protect an archipelago made of glacial debris in eastern Massachusetts. Â
The peaks in Guadalupe Mountains National Park—some of the highest in Texas—are made of a well-preserved fossil reef formed more…
The Channel Islands off the coast of southern California support diverse ecosystems, with some plants and animals found nowhere else…
Folds of rusted rock neighbor the Bighorn Canyon’s deep scar in the western United States.
Gateway towns in Wyoming and Montana flank the Rocky Mountains and provide an access point to Yellowstone and Grand Teton…
This U.S. national monument, rich in geological and cultural heritage, displays Northern California’s fiery past.
Visitors to this national park in southern Utah can witness geologic landforms by day and a celestial light show by…
Braided rivers, landslide debris, and alluvial fans are spread across this dynamic landscape in Glacier Bay National Park. Â
Harriet Tubman preferred to navigate the woods and waterways of Maryland’s Eastern Shore on winter nights when guiding enslaved people…
Refreshed by precipitation from an atmospheric river, a temporary lake in Death Valley is extending its stay.
After a hunting trip in 1883, young Theodore Roosevelt was drawn to the desolate beauty of Dakota Territory badlands.
Record rainfall associated with Hurricane Hilary in August 2023 created a large temporary lake in Death Valley.
Forests of maples and oaks show their brilliant autumn hues in northeast Ohio’s national park.
