Public Lands Air Quality Map

How the Air Quality Map works

A plain-language guide to where our air quality data comes from, how often it updates, and how we answer whether the air is worth breathing on your trip.

What this tool answers

Air quality maps usually report by zip code or by individual sensor. That is fine if you live next to a monitor. It is much less helpful for the wild places people travel to, which are exactly where monitors are sparse and wildfire smoke lands hardest.

This map is organized around roughly 2,600 named public lands instead, every national park, forest, wilderness, monument, and refuge. For each one it answers a single question: is the air clear enough to go right now?

Where the data comes from

Everything is official or open monitoring data, refreshed on a schedule through the day.

EPA AirNowThe federal network of regulatory air monitors: PM2.5 and the official Air Quality Index. The backbone of every verdict, refreshed through the day.
PurpleAirA dense network of low-cost sensors that fills gaps between regulatory monitors, especially near remote public lands. Used to densify coverage where AirNow is thin.
NOAA HMS SmokeAnalyst-drawn smoke plumes from satellite imagery, classified light, medium, or heavy. Shown as the gray veils drifting across the map.
Open-MeteoWind direction and forecast, used to anticipate whether smoke is moving toward or away from a place.
NIFC active fires + USGS PAD-USThe wildfires producing the smoke, and the official boundaries and names of the public lands the map is built around.

How we read the air

We use the EPA Air Quality Index, the same 0 to 500 scale you see on the news, and translate it into a plain verdict for each place.

Good (0 to 50)Clear air. Breathe easy.

Moderate (51 to 100)Acceptable for most. Unusually sensitive people may notice.

Sensitive groups (101 to 150)Kids, older adults, and people with heart or lung conditions should ease up on exertion.

Unhealthy (151 to 200)Everyone may feel effects. Limit time outdoors.

Very unhealthy to hazardous (201+)Avoid outdoor exertion. A trip is not worth it.

Places with no nearby monitor

Many wilderness areas have no air monitor for tens of miles. Rather than show nothing, we synthesize an estimate from the nearest stations and any smoke overhead, and we label it clearly as a synthesized reading so you know it is an approximation, not a sensor on the trailhead.

Limits to keep in mind

Air quality changes by the hour as wind shifts. Sensor data can lag or drop out. Smoke plumes are analyst estimates of where smoke is aloft, which is not always the same as what you breathe on the ground. Treat this as a strong first read, then confirm locally before a trip if the air is borderline.

Public Lands Wildfire TrackerThe fires driving the smoke, mapped to the same parks and forests.

This tool reports official government data for trip planning. It is general information, not a substitute for agency closures, evacuation orders, or emergency guidance. Always check the managing agency and local authorities before you travel. Conditions can change faster than any feed updates.

Last reviewed July 2026

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