- State: AZ
- NPCA Region: Southwest
- Est. Date: 1919
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
America’s Southwest is full of breathtaking canyons, but none as famous or as widely visited as the Grand Canyon. This world-famous landmark offers wondrous views, spectacular hiking, exhilarating whitewater rafting and countless adventures. One look across the enormous chasm confirms just why this inspirational place is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a must-see destination for so many travelers. The park also protects a wealth of biological diversity, including numerous endemic and threatened species and several rare ecosystems.
Grand Victory
In 2016, thousands of NPCA supporters helped protect the Grand Canyon from one of the worst development threats in its history, a mega-mall near the park's South Rim that would have included 2,100 housing units and 3 million square feet of commercial space. Advocates and allies helped convince the U.S. Forest Service to deny a permit for the misguided project.
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Blog Post
The Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor: A Cornerstone of Protection
The announcement of Chuckwalla National Monument makes historic contributions to conservation in the Southwest.
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Blog Post
How the CCC’s Work Lives On in National Parks
Both beautiful and functional, projects built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s endure at national parks ... and we can thank Frances Perkins for getting the CCC started.
My Park Story
Greetings from Grand Canyon National Park
It was April on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I woke up early to find a blanket of snow covering everything, so I walked in darkness to take in the sunrise and the unfolding of a truly spectacular sight. The Canyon’s pinnacles, ledges, cracks and crevices were dusted…
More about Grand Canyon
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Read more about Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air
NPCA at Work Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air Clean air is still out of reach for our Southwestern national parks.
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Read more about Navajo Citizens Stop Developers from Building an Egregious Resort and Tramway on the Rim of the Grand Canyon
Victory Navajo Citizens Stop Developers from Building an Egregious Resort and Tramway on the Rim of the Grand Canyon Developers have been attempting for years to build a massive 420-acre resort hotel and aerial tramway right on the rim of the Grand Canyon. In February 2018, Western Navajo citizens unanimously opposed allowing this destructive project on their land, effectively ending the threat to this landmark national park and its deeply significant cultural sites.
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Read more about Grand Canyon Protected from Threat of Mega-Development
Victory Grand Canyon Protected from Threat of Mega-Development You helped to stop a massive development proposed just outside the boundary of Grand Canyon National Park that had the Park Service and park supporters worried about negative effects on the park—especially the dozens of fragile creeks, springs, and seeps that rely on underground water sources the development could have legally tapped.
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Read more about Why Do We Need Mining Law Reform? Just Look to Grand Canyon’s Pinyon Plain Mine
Blog Post Why Do We Need Mining Law Reform? Just Look to Grand Canyon’s Pinyon Plain Mine The 1872 Mining Law – yes, that’s when it was written! – is out of date. NPCA is among the groups advocating for mining law reform to better protect national parks and public health.
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Preserving the magnificent natural beauty that our parks embody is important for future generations, especially in this age of electronics where kids don't spend as much time out of doors. I want these special places to be there for them. — Joan Greig
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Read more about 10 Parks Getting a Boost Through the Great American Outdoors Act
Blog Post 10 Parks Getting a Boost Through the Great American Outdoors Act 2020’s historic investment continues to improve our national parks. Read about some of the latest maintenance and repair projects and why NPCA urges Congress to extend the act’s funding to finish the job.
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Read more about Weeding the Grand Canyon
Magazine Article Weeding the Grand Canyon The search for an invasive plant, ghosts of the past and belonging on a journey downriver.
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Read more about Tour de Greg
Magazine Article Tour de Greg The feel-good sports film “Hard Miles” is inspired by the true story of a man who takes at-risk youth across the country on homemade bicycles.
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Read more about See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks
Blog Post See a Sky Full of Stars at These Certified Dark-Sky Parks Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the galaxy at these designated dark-sky parks.
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Read more about The Beauty of Loss
Podcast Episode The Beauty of Loss Pete McBride spent 20 years photographing the Colorado River. His new book showcases the depths of its crisis — and reasons for hope.
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Read more about Chasing a Troubled River
Magazine Article Chasing a Troubled River The mighty Colorado River and its tributaries run through seven states and 10 national park sites and provide water and electricity to millions of people. But as photographer Pete McBride documents in a new book, the river is drying up, and the need to correct course grows more urgent every day.
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Read more about VICTORY: Parks Group Celebrates Designation of Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, Forever Protecting Sacred Lands and Vital Waterways
Press Release VICTORY: Parks Group Celebrates Designation of Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona, Forever Protecting Sacred Lands and Vital Waterways "Today, we celebrate the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument with all who cherish this special place." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
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Read more about The Undiscovered Cave
Podcast Episode The Undiscovered Cave Explorers in a remote area of Grand Canyon National Park discovered a cave they believe human beings had never entered before. Inside this maze of limestone passageways, researchers found thousands of fossils that could change our understanding of one of the country’s quirkiest animals — bats!
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Read more about From Joshua Tree to Canyons of the Ancients
Magazine Article From Joshua Tree to Canyons of the Ancients An unbroken stretch of protected land would benefit ecosystems, wildlife and cultural landscapes.
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Read more about 6 National Parks That Will Benefit from New Fossil Protections
Blog Post 6 National Parks That Will Benefit from New Fossil Protections In early September, the Interior Department implemented a long-awaited rule that will protect fossils from theft and loss on hundreds of public lands, including national park sites. Here are just a few of the places that are better off as a result.
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Read more about To Collect or Not to Collect
Magazine Article To Collect or Not to Collect As higher visitation and climate change increasingly threaten artifacts, can the Park Service afford to leave them in place?
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Read more about Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant
Letter Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant On behalf of National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club, Earthjustice respectfully submits the following comments regarding the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) proposed Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) “reassessment” for the Cholla Power Plant.
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Read more about Polluted Parks: Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet Polluted Parks: Fact Sheets Haze pollution limits views of our most valued national parks and wilderness areas, affecting not just how far we can see, but also the color, sharpness, and quality of the view. It also makes the air unhealthy for people, wildlife and natural resources.
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Read more about Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes
Fact Sheet Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes National parks are key to protecting and connecting our most revered places.
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Read more about Power Plants in the Four Corners Region
Report Power Plants in the Four Corners Region Map of national parks and power plants in the Four Corners region
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Read more about Opposing Grand Canyon Uranium Mining
Letter Opposing Grand Canyon Uranium Mining Dear Colleague letter on Grand Canyon uranium mining
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Read more about Limiting Over Flight Noise at Grand Canyon National Park
Letter Limiting Over Flight Noise at Grand Canyon National Park Comments regarding limiting overflight noise at Grand Canyon National Park
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Read more about National Parks of the Colorado River Basin
Report National Parks of the Colorado River Basin This report focuses on the ways in which management of the dams along the Colorado River and its major tributaries affects resources in five national parks in the Colorado River Basin.
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Read more about Center for State of the Parks: Grand Canyon National Park
Report Center for State of the Parks: Grand Canyon National Park In acknowledgment of the significance of Grand Canyon National Park to America’s national heritage and to the global community, the National Parks Conservation Association evaluated significant challenges and opportunities with regard to resources that the park currently faces.
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