The Chihuahuan Desert Network serves seven parks that cover more than one million acres in Texas and New Mexico. Our parks lie in the 230,000 square mile Chihuahuan Desert Ecoregion that stretches from the southwestern United States to just north of Mexico City.
From low-elevation desert valleys to woodlands high in the mountain ranges, or "sky islands," our parks are exceptionally diverse and support many plant and animal species that are unique to the region. In addition to desert grasslands, shrublands, rivers, streams, springs, riparian areas, and mountain woodlands, our parks contain gypsum sand dunes and sand fields, the best preserved, exposed Pre-Cambrian fossil reef in the world, and hundreds of limestone caves.
We work together with our partners to compile inventories of park species and natural features and monitor them to detect changes. Inventories help park managers understand the natural resources in their care. Long-term monitoring helps them understand changes that may occur over time. With this knowledge, park managers can protect these special places for future generations.
NPS Photo
Our Parks
Amistad National Recreation Area
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Fort Davis National Historic Site
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River
Our Partners
Auburn University
Conservation Science Partners
New Mexico State University, Water Resources Research Institute
Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative
Southwest Network Collaboration
Tucson Audubon Society
University of New Mexico
University of Texas at Austin
USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research
Utah State University
Last updated: September 20, 2022