Golden Spike National Historical Park

Elijah McCoy

Michael Coleman, a Utah artist internationally known for his award-winning sculptures and paintings of the landscape and wildlife of the American West created a bison sculpture to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad in 2019. This mighty sculpture titled, “Distant Thunder” honors the bison’s demise due to the railroad and celebrates their eventual resurgence.

The National Park Service congratulates the regional recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Volunteerism Awards. These nominees embody the values of service, engagement, and stewardship fundamental to our national parks.

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.

Visitors to Arches National Park experience natural free-flowing waters and have water to quench their thirst, thanks to an agreement between the National Park Service and the State of Utah.

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.

The Black-throated Sparrow edition of Get to Know the Plateau, spotlighting a beautiful bird of the Colorado Plateau. Brought to you by the Southern Colorado Plateau Network.

Invasive exotic plants are one of the most significant threats to natural resources in the national parks today. To provide early warning of weed invasions, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors target plants in park areas where they are likely to first establish: along roads, trails, and waterways. Find out what we've learned at Golden Spike National Historical Park.

Invasive exotic plants are one of the most significant threats to natural resources in the national parks today. To provide early warning of weed invasions, the Northern Colorado Plateau Network monitors target plants in park areas where they are likely to first establish: along roads, trails, and waterways or riparian corridors. Find out what we've learned at Golden Spike National Historical Park.