On May 15, 2026, the National Park Service and DarkSky International announced that Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument had been certified as an International DarkSky Park. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was designated on April 3rd, 1937, as an exemplar of a thriving desert environment in America’s Sonoran Desert. Encompassing over 300,000 acres of the Sonoran Desert along the international border, every facet of a desert ecosystem is on display and since approximately 95 percent of the property is designated as wilderness, careful management by Organ Pipe staff ensures that nature is intact. Park staff began work towards a dark sky designation in 2016, and since then have collected months of night sky quality monitoring data, updated over 100 lights around the visitor center and campground, hosted annual star parties and frequent outreach events in nearby communities, presented more than 100 astronomy evening programs and telescope viewings within the park, and began an astronomer in residence program in 2025. The International Dark Sky Park certification marks a huge milestone for the protection of nocturnal ecosystems within the park and represents the community’s continued advocacy for dark sky conservation.
