One of the most remote parks in the country, Nevada’s Great Basin National Park feels like another world. On a clear night, you could spot thousands of stars plus the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, and our near-ish planetary neighbors Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. In winter, look for Orion and the Pleiades open star cluster. Bring a telescope or rely on the naked eye at stargazing spots like Mather Overlook, which offers views down into the valley and up into the mountains.

The sparse population around southwest Texas’ Big Bend National Park makes this the least light-polluted of any national park in the continental U.S. Bring comfy chairs and a pair of binoculars to the Sotol Vista with views across an open mesa. Or set up at the Rio Grande Overlook for unobstructed vistas of the sprawling Texas sky. You’ll get a spectacular show of 2,000+ stars, the Milky Way, meteor showers, constellations like Sagittarius, and even the neighboring galaxy Andromeda!

On the vast Colorado Plateau in the southwest’s Four Corners region, the scope of Canyonlands National Park puts things in perspective. With epic overlooks like Big Spring Canyon, Grand View, and Mesa Arch, you can spot thousands of stars across the neverending night skies. Look for constellations like Cetus and Perseus in summer, Draco and Hercules in winter, and ample meteor showers throughout the year. On a clear night, you may even spot the rings of Saturn with just a pair of binoculars.

Spanning over 700,000 acres of swampland in southern Florida, Big Cypress National Preserve boasts some of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi River. Visit after dark to spot stars, constellations, and the glittering Milky Way. You’ll find spectacular views high above the swaying Florida palms from the Kirby Storter Boardwalk or the open prairie of Upper Wagon Wheel. During the cooler winter months, the park hosts ranger-led astronomy programs like constellation tours.

Set atop a 2,300-foot-high peak on the Allegheny Plateau of northern Pennsylvania, Cherry Springs State Park offers magnificent views after nightfall. Set up at the Night Sky Public Viewing Area for a short-term skywatch, or bring your equipment to the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field’s concrete telescope pads for 360° viewing all night long. Depending on the season, you’ll spot constellations and asteroids, planets, the Northern Lights, and the Andromeda and Milky Way Galaxies.

If you want a telescope experience but don’t have your own equipment, Staunton River State Park in southern Virginia has got you covered. Borrow one of their Newtonian-reflector telescopes for use in the park. You’ll also get a star map and a hands-on tutorial. Set it up at the field next to the visitor’s center to spot constellations like Ursa Minor and Piscis Austrinus, plus the Milky Way and meteor showers. The park hosts twice-yearly star parties and events like monthly Stories of the Stars.

The word “Watoga” comes from a Cherokee word for “starry waters.” You’ll understand why that name stuck when you see the stars’ sparkling reflection in the lake at Watoga State Park. Hidden away in the secluded mountains of Pocahontas County, this park is surrounded by forests and wilderness, keeping the skies clear. Camp overnight and soak up the night sky at the T.M. Cheek Memorial Overlook or the Ann Bailey Lookout Tower for spectacular views of the Milky Way and Triangulum Galaxies.

At the northernmost tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula, Headlands International Dark Sky Park brings stunning stargazing to the shores of Lake Michigan. During the main season, from May through Labor Day, astronomy staff set up telescopes on the viewing platform for public use. Or, bring your own equipment to look for Orion in spring, the Milky Way, Scorpion, and Sagittarius in summer, and meteor showers through the fall and early winter.