Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Certified as a Dark Sky Park

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AJO, Ariz. - The National Park Service and DarkSky International are pleased to announce Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument as a Dark Sky Park. This certification recognizes the exceptional quality of the park's night skies and provides added opportunities to enhance visitor experiences through astronomy-based interpretive programming.

"Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, is proud to receive this Dark Sky designation," said Superintendent Raquel Montez. "Protecting the monument's night environment honors a landscape where the stars have guided and inspired early peoples for generations and continue to shape our understanding of this place today. This recognition reflects focused efforts to modernize park infrastructure in ways that support the surrounding natural environment. National parks remain among the most valuable places in the country to experience the clarity of star-filled skies, from distant galaxies to the planets that define our shared night."

The park was supported through the certification process by many partners including International Sonoran Desert Alliance, Western National Parks, and DarkSky Southern Arizona.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument will continue to work with park partners and others on future dark sky visitor experiences. To recognize this support for dark sky conservation and interpretation, the park will be hosting a celebration in winter 2027. Details will be announced at a later date.

The International Dark Sky Places Program was founded in 2001 as a non-regulatory and voluntary program to encourage communities, parks, and protected areas around the world to preserve and protect dark sites through responsible lighting practices and public education. Organ Pipe now joins the 400+ locations around the world that have followed a rigorous application process that demonstrates robust community support for dark sky certification.