The way NASA earth science data are typically archived (by time steps, one step per file, often containing multiple variables) is not optimal for their access by the hydrology community, particularly if the data volume and/or number of data files are large. To enhance the access to and use of these data, the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) adopted two approaches, in a project supported by the NASA ACCESS Program: (1) optimally reorganize two large hydrological data sets as time series, for more efficient access and (2) integrate the time series data (aka “data rods”) into hydrology community tools, such as Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. Hydrologic Information System (CUAHSI HIS), EPA BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating point & Non-point Sources), and, under development, Data Rods Explorer on the Tethys Platform (developed by Brigham Young University). This ACCESS project has thus far resulted in the reorganization and archiving (as data rods) of a set of water cycle related variables (Table 1) from the North American and Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (NLDAS and GLDAS, respectively). In addition to their access provided by the hydrology community tools, selected data rods variables can be searched and accessed through Mirador, the GES DISC search and access user interface, and all data rods variables can be accessed via Web services developed by GES DISC.