Monumental Superstars

Basin and Range National Monument protects wild and connected landscapes that are home to dozens of rare and iconic animal species, including the greater sage-grouse, pygmy rabbit, and desert bighorn sheep. The eastern edge of the monument contains one of the most genetically diverse strands of ponderosa pine in the West. The night sky appears darker there than 88 percent of similarly sized areas in the West.

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is a better place to spot a rare species or see a wider variety of reptiles than many of our iconic national parks. The monument includes habitat suitable for endangered birds, including the Mexican spotted owl and southwestern willow flycatcher. Audubon considers Canyons of the Ancients to be an Important Bird Area.

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument provides a welcome refuge—based on its topography and elevation—to species adapting to changing climate conditions. The monument also has rare ecosystems that are home to more bird diversity than 91 percent of similarly sized areas in the West. Berryessa Snow Mountain is situated a mere 100 miles from both Sacramento and San Francisco and boasts exceptionally dark night skies.

Carrizo Plain National Monument truly is a birder’s paradise. The monument is in the top 4 percent of similarly sized places in the West for bird diversity. Carrizo Plain supports 200 bird species, including the endangered California condor, and is considered one of Audubon’s Important Bird Areas. The monument received widespread attention in April 2017 for its shockingly beautiful wildflower “super bloom.”

Gold Butte National Monument, known as “Nevada’s Piece of the Grand Canyon,” is a wild and vast landscape teeming with diverse species of reptiles and birds. Beneath it all lies a wide range of soil types, putting Gold Butte in the top 2 percent of similarly sized places in the West for lithological diversity—a characteristic associated with strong ecological health.

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is an excellent place to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way, as it ranks in the top 6 percent of similarly sized places in the West for night sky darkness. The sweeping landscapes protected by this monument provide refuge for diverse reptile species as the climate changes.

Bears Ears National Monument protects a largely uninterrupted landscape that is wilder and more ecologically valuable than nearly all similarly sized places in the West. It is home to a high concentration of rare and endangered species. And at night, the sky appears darker than nearly anywhere else in the West.

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument has more biodiversity than 96 percent of similar areas in the West. The monument’s high scores for biodiversity and rare ecosystems go hand in hand. The area is located at the convergence of multiple ecoregions—the Great Basin and the Sierra, Cascade, Siskiyou, and Klamath mountains—which likely results in a unique blend of species that don’t typically occur together. The monument is also better than average in nearly every ecological indicator included in this study, such as its night skies, climate resilience, terrain, and number of bird species.

Craters of the Moon National Monument is in the 99th percentile of all similarly sized places in the West to see unique terrain and landforms unsurprising given that it’s made up of lava flows and cinder cones that cover a landscape that the National Park Service describes as “weird and scenic.” Craters of the Moon is also one of the most wild and remote places left in the West.

Giant Sequoia National Monument ranks among the best in the West for protecting a rich diversity of species from the adverse consequences of climate change. This monument protects iconic giant sequoia trees and conserves ecosystems more rare than 97 percent of similarly sized areas in the West.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is in the top 4 percent in terms of its wildness and remoteness and is in the top 7 percent of places for connected and uninterrupted landscapes—higher than Grand Canyon or Yellowstone national parks. Grand Staircase’s size—at 1.8 million acres—is key to its ecological superiority.

Hanford Reach National Monument ranks in the top 3 percent for unique terrain among similarly sized areas in the West. The topography and elevation of Hanford Reach makes it well-suited to be a safe haven for species adapting to climate change—better than three-quarters of similar areas.

Ironwood Forest National Monument is a wonderful place to spot wildlife. It protects up to 80 species of mammals and ranks in the top 6 percent for reptile diversity and 17 percent for bird diversity among similarly sized areas in the West.

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument is in the top 2 percent of wild and remote places in the Eastern United States. The monument is also teeming with biodiversity and rare species. Given that the Eastern half of the country is generally more built up, protecting remote places such as Katahdin is more important than ever.

Mojave Trails National Monument’s wild and sweeping landscapes are home to myriad reptiles, including the Mojave Desert’s largest lizard, the chuckwalla. At night, the sky over Mojave Trails is darker than 94 percent of similarly sized areas in the West.

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument has up to 49 species of reptiles—more than 97 percent of other similarly sized places in the West. Reptiles are key to desert food webs, and scientists have found that one-fifth of the world's reptiles are at risk of extinction. The monument also outperforms a majority of Western landscapes when it comes to most ecological indicators, including bird and mammal diversity, rare ecosystems and species, and its resilience to climate change.

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is in the top 10 percent of places for its mammal diversity and wildlife spotting, in part because it serves as an important wildlife corridor between the two mountain ranges. Up to 78 species of mammals alone can be found in the monument. The area is also exceptionally wild, remote, and connected.

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument is one of the best places in the West—in the top 3 percent of similarly sized places—for bird diversity, with its up to 206 species of birds. It is considered one of the best spots for birding in California and is home to endangered species such as the California condor, least Bell's vireo, and southwestern willow flycatcher. The monument is also in the top 10 percent for its resilience to climate change and presence of rare species—impressive, especially given that the monument is only a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles.

Sand to Snow National Monument is teaming with rare, elusive, and biologically diverse species, being in the top 2 percent of similarly sized places in the West for the indicator. The monument is home to 14 federally listed threatened or endangered species of flowering plants and 12 threatened or endangered wildlife species, including the Mojave desert tortoise and Peninsular bighorn sheep.

Sonoran Desert National Monument is in the top 7 percent for its reptile diversity—up to 41 species can be found within the monument. Reptiles are key to desert food webs, and scientists have found that one-fifth of the world's reptiles are at risk of extinction.

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is in the 94th percentile for the rarity of its ecosystems. Some of the rarest include Northwestern Great Plains Floodplain, Northwestern Great Plains Shrubland, Northern Rocky Mountains Foothill Conifer Wooded Steppe, Western Great Plains Wooded Draw and Ravine, and North American Arid West Emergent Marsh. The monument is also one of the most wild and remote, with some of the darkest night skies.

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is one of the most wild, remote, and uninterrupted landscapes left in the West, with its dark skies ranking in the top 5 percent of places in the West. A plethora of mammals, reptiles, and rare species such as the endangered California condor also call this monument home.