Jumpsite for Park Geology Education

The following NPS web sites have been selected and rated by educators to highlight some of the best park geology pages and to provide a quick starting place for exploring the many thousands of park science pages available to you. The sites have been given ratings of 1 to 5 globes, with 5 being the best. Please feel free to send comments, corrections, or additions to us via e-mail ( Webmaster ).

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Cave/Karst

NPS Cave and Karst Views Module http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
http://www.nps.gov/cave/naturescience/cave.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/cave/index.cfm

Great Basin National Park, Nevada
http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/cave.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grba/index.cfm

Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/jeca/geology.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/jeca/index.cfm

Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/orca/index.cfm

Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/tica/index.cfm

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/wica/
Wind_Cave_Exploration_&_Resource_Management.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wica/Geology.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/wica/index.cfm

Dunes

Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/deva/deva1.html
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/geologicformations.htm

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/resources/overview.htm

Mojave National Preserve, California
http://www.nps.gov/moja/home.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/whsa/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/Geology%20of%20White%20Sands/GeoHome.html

Erosion

Arches National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm

Badlands National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/blca/webvc/geology.htm

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/geology.htm

Canyonlands National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/geologicformations.htm

Zion National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/zion/Geology.htm

Evaporite Deposits

Arches National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm

Mojave National Preserve, California
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/whsa/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/whsa/Geology%20of%20White%20Sands/GeoHome.html

Faults

Joshua Tree National Park, California
http://www.nps.gov/jotr/nature/features/geology/formations.html
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/jotr/index.cfm

Pinnacles National Monument, California
http://www.nps.gov/pinn/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm

Flood Plains

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm

Geo-detective

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/brca/geology.html

Geologic Formations

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/hafo/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/joda/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/geology.htm

Geo/Hydrothermal Activity

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho & Montana
http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/geology/index.htm
http://www.geyserstudy.org/geyser_main.htm

Glaciation

NPS Glaciers Knowledge Center
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/Index_glaciers.htm

Acadia National Park, Maine
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/acad/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/glba/
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/glba_web/

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm

Great Basin National Park, Nevada
http://www.nps.gov/grba/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grba/index.cfm

Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/mora/ncrd/glacier/index.html
http://www.nps.gov/mora/ncrd/geology.htm

Olympic National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/olym/invgeo.htm

Wrangell -St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm

Historical Geology

USGS/NPS Geologic Time Overview
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/gtime/gtime1.html

Arches National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/arch/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm

Badlands National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm

Big Bend National Park, Texas
http://www.nps.gov/bibe/naturescience/geology.htm

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/blca/naturescience/geology.htm

Canyonlands National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/cany/naturescience/geologicformations.htm

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Minnesota
http://www.nps.gov/miss/features/index.html

Mojave National Preserve, California
http://www.nps.gov/moja/home.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/moja/index.cfm

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
http://www.nps.gov/shen/naturescience/geologicformations.htm

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/thro/tr_rocks.htm

Yosemite National Park, California
http://www.nps.gov/yose/nature/geology.htm

Zion National Park, Utah
http://www.nps.gov/zion/Geology.htm

Hydrology

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
http://www.nps.gov/grsa/resources/overview.htm

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm

Landslides

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm

Mountains

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm

Paleontology/Fossils

Badlands National Park, South Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/badl/exp/home.htm

Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/deva/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/deva/naturescience/geologicformations.htm

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
http://www.nps.gov/grte/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/grte/index.cfm

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/naturescience/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/hafo/geology.htm

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/joda/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/joda/paleo.htm

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/naturescience/fossils.htm

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
http://www.nps.gov/thro/tr_rocks.htm

Petrified Wood

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
http://www.nps.gov/pefo/naturescience/fossils.htm

Plate Tectonics

USGS/NPS Plate Tectectonics Overview
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/pltec/pltec1.html

Olympic National Park, Washington
http://www.nps.gov/olym/home.htm
http://www.nps.gov/olym/index.htm

Wrangell-St. Ellias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm

River Systems

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Minnesota
http://www.nps.gov/miss/features/index.html

Seashore

Acadia National Park, Maine
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/acad/index.cfm
http://www.nps.gov/acad/naturescience/coasts.htm

Volcanism/Volcanoes/Lava Flow

NPS Volcanism Knowledge Center
http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/Index_volcano.htm

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
http://www.nps.gov/crla/geo1.htm

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, Idaho
http://www.nps.gov/crmo/naturescience/volcanoes.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/crmo/index.cfm

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
http://www.nps.gov/havo/visitor/lava.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/havo/index.cfm

Lava Beds National Monument, California
http://www.nps.gov/labe
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/labe/index.cfm

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, Arizona
http://home.nps.gov/sucr/naturescience/geologicformations.htm
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/parks/sucr/index.cfm
http://nps.gov/wupa/geology_general.html

Wrangell-St. Ellias National Park and Preserve
http://home.nps.gov/wrst/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geology.htm
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/geologybook.htm

Other Sites

USGS/NPS Projects
http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/project/home.html

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Ratings Guide

Five stars – Excellent depth of information about park geology. A five star rating is very similar to a four star rating except that there is a fun-to-navigate element in a five star rated park.

Four stars – In addition to the park brochure, there is additional park geology information provided from other NPS sites or links to outside sources. The geology education information is excellent and explains geologic processes in detail. There may be animations, geology photos and lesson plans available on the site.

Three stars – In addition to the park brochure, there is additional park information provided from other park information such as the Geology Fieldnotes or outside sources. The additional information may or may not be linked in the park website. The additional information is not easily found through the park website.

Two stars – The only information provided at the park site is the park brochure, however the information is more in depth and the park geology may be more abundant and more interesting. There are no external links provided at the park site for geologic discovery.

One star – The only information provided at the park site is the park brochure. It may indicate that the geology in the park is very limited. If there are outside sources of information about the park geology, the links are not available on the park site.