One of the best places to view the Milky Way is Acadia National Park. Make your way to the summit of Cadillac Mountain to gaze at the night sky. Vehicle access to the summit is subject to night closures, but reservations aren't needed to hike or bike there. Pack something comfortable to sit/lie on, flashlights, or bike lights (ideally with a red-light function). If visiting during the winter season, check the park’s website for possible road closures.

The stars can be seen from just about anywhere at Arches National Park on a clear night. The farther north you drive, the darker the sky will be with the best views located at Balanced Rock Picnic Area, the Windows Section, Garden of Eden Viewpoint, and Panorama Point. Enjoy the concrete presentation bay, seating for 75 people, and telescope pads available at Panorama Point, just 30 minutes from the park’s visitor center. Check the park’s website for more information.

Summer nights at Badlands National Park are for night sky viewing! Join park rangers and astronomy volunteers each evening from Memorial Day through Labor Day at the Cedar Pass Amphitheater for a view of constellations, planets, and more than 7,500 stars. The annual three-day Badlands Astronomy Festival brings space science lovers together to celebrate the beauty of a dark night sky and the wonder of space exploration. Check the park’s website ahead for more information on these events.

Big Bend National Park has the darkest night skies of any other national park unit in the lower 48 states, designating this park as an outstanding location for stargazing. The staff and volunteers at Big Bend offer several night sky interpretive programs for visitors, such as star parties and moonlight walks. Camping is also a popular attraction at Big Bend, so be sure to check the park’s website for reservations.

With a host of outdoor activities to participate in, Big Cypress National Preserve is more than a vast swamp. From hiking and camping, to canoeing and kayaking, you can certainly fill your day with things to do. Join one of the park’s astronomy programs to learn more about the importance of the night sky, how it impacts wildlife, and how the night sky has been an inspiration for centuries. Be sure to check the park’s website for program schedules.

he story of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park dates back over 60 million years. Created by volcanic eruptions and the force of the Gunnison River, Black Canyon is known for its dark skies and the highest cliff in Colorado: Painted Wall. The annual Black Canyon Astronomy festival takes place on the South Rim, where visitors can participate in astronomy activities and telescope viewings with rangers and volunteers. Check the park’s website for more details.

Bryce Canyon National Park’s remote location and thin, clean air makes it a phenomenal place for stargazing, due to less air and light pollution. The high elevation at Bryce Canyon provides a breathtaking view of hundreds of miles into the desert, and you can even search the sky for the Andromeda Galaxy after dark. The park offers ranger programs, such as constellation tours and full moon hikes. Visit the park's website for program schedules and general park information.

Buffalo National River is 135 miles long, making it ideal for a variety of daytime water activities, but to some the fun starts after dark. The sound of the river while gazing up at the clear night sky surrounded by the Ozark mountains is an experience being preserved for future generations through the park’s efforts to adopt responsible outdoor lighting practices. Check the website for more information on star parties, ranger-led night sky programs, and ways to protect the night sky.

Canyonlands National Park is divided into 4 districts: Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers. While all share a desert atmosphere, they each have characteristics that keep visitors entertained from day to night. After sunset, Canyonlands reveals some of the darkest skies remaining in the U.S. Camping sites and backcountry opportunities are available, so be sure to pack appropriately for the park’s extreme temperatures. Check out the park’s website for a calendar of events.

Capitol Reef National Park became an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, designating it as one of the best night sky viewing opportunities. The park offers many locations to stargaze, including the Fruita Area, South (Waterpocket) District, and North (Cathedral) District. The park offers many tips and suggestions for visiting Capitol Reef to ensure your safety and an enjoyable experience. Check out the website for more information on night hiking and stargazing.

Capulin Volcano National Monument’s high and irregular landscape provides a screen from distant light sources, creating a one-of-a-kind view of the night sky. Designated as a Gold-tier International Dark Sky Park in 2016, the park holds Dark Sky viewing most Saturday nights during summer months, and select nights fall, winter, and spring with giant telescopes at their dark sky viewing area. Interested in a ranger-led moonlight hike of the volcano rim? Check the park’s website for reservations.

Far from the lights of town, Carlsbad Caverns National Park features a wonderfully dark night sky, perfect for stellar viewing. Rangers have telescopes available to see astronomical objects such as planets in our Milky Way and maybe even a few galaxies beyond. Visitors can also sign up to hike half-mile Star Walks and meteor shower viewing, and 1.5 miles for Moon Hikes on a rugged desert trail with an elevation change of 200 feet. Check out the park’s website for more information.

Cedar Breaks, about 30 minutes east of Cedar City, UT, is far enough from city lights to offer a clear view of the heavens. The park hosts popular ranger-led stargazing programs, the highest of such programs in the National Park System at 10,350 feet. The nighttime views and environments are among the critical park features protected at Cedar Breaks. Check out the park’s website for more information on how you can experience dark skies at Cedar Breaks year-round.

Chaco Culture National Historical Park has long been considered by many night sky enthusiasts to be one of the best places in America to stargaze. Today visitors can experience the same dark sky that the Chacoans observed a thousand years ago. The protection of dark night skies is a priority at the park not only for the enjoyment of star-gazing visitors, but for the natural environment as well. Nocturnal wildlife relies on darkness for survival. Check out the park’s website for more information.

Chiricahua National Monument is always open, so go experience dark night skies from Massai Point, Echo Canyon Trailhead, or even the campground. The park’s 12,025 acres is designated wilderness that contributes to exceptional darkness. The night sky quality over the park is nearly pristine, with limited influence from distant cities. Chiricahua National Monument has excellent air quality, low annual precipitation, and clear night skies. Check out the park’s website for more information.

As the only national park unit named for a celestial body, it is fitting that there are many ways to enjoy the night sky at Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve. Tour the heavens above by taking part in a Star Party, held each spring and fall. The Idaho Falls Astronomical Society hosts these popular events and provides telescopes and sky viewing expertise. Check out the park’s website for more information on scheduling a visit to view the night sky.

Death Valley National Park harbors some of the darkest night skies in the U.S., far from cities and carefully managed to protect darkness. Nights in the park are so dark that the park is classified at the highest level by the International Dark-Sky Association; many celestial objects which can be viewed from Death Valley are not visible elsewhere in the world! The top ranger suggestions for star gazing locations include Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Badwater Basin, and Ubehebe Crater.

In the Denali area, nearly everywhere is free from human light pollution. With long hours of darkness, the fall, winter, and early spring can be a fantastic time to view stars in Denali National Park & Preserve. Very little light pollution makes the park a particularly great location for stargazing and as well as provides a rare aurora-viewing experience. The aurora is a beautiful, if hard to predict, phenomenon, that occurs year-round. Plan the logistics of your trip using the park’s website.

Dinosaur National Monument is one of the darkest places remaining in the U.S. Much of the park provides prime places to view the night sky with either the naked eye or through the use of telescopes and binoculars. The park even has a designated campsite to hold night sky programs. Night skies have become a vanishing resource and increasing development, even in many rural areas, expands light pollution. Check out the park’s website for a calendar of events.

As night falls, El Morro National Monument is enveloped in a deep natural darkness far from the city lights. The high elevation, clean air, remote location, and minimal development in and around the El Morro Valley produce optimal night-sky conditions. Visitors have the opportunity to experience the glorious night skies alongside a 1,000-year cultural continuum of people and events that shaped the American Southwest. Keep an eye on the park’s calendar for upcoming stargazing opportunities.

An hour’s drive west of Colorado Springs, Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument offers the opportunity to see the Milky Way, as well as other galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, planets, comets, and more! The park offers Night Sky programs in partnership with the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society. Check ahead for the park’s program schedule, and dress warmly – evenings in the mountains can be cool, even in summer.

New Mexico’s Fort Union National Monument preserves the territorial-style adobe remnants of a 19th century military fort along the Santa Fe Trail. The park’s Night Sky programs provide an evening tour of the fort, followed by telescope and naked eye astronomy adjacent to the visitor center. Make sure to pack a light jacket, water, and good walking shoes if you’re planning on attending. Check the park’s website ahead for program schedules.

Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park is world renowned for its vistas, but another vista can be seen after dark when unobstructed views reveal a dazzling star-scape! If you’re the type to plan ahead for an amazing stargazing experience, schedule your visit around the park’s summer Star Party, typically held in June. The event includes nightly evening programs and telescope viewing behind the Grand Canyon Visitor Center, as well as constellation tours.

During the day, Arizona’s Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is great for hiking, backpacking, and camping. At night, the park becomes one of the best spots for observing and enjoying the night sky. As one of the most remote areas in the contiguous United States, the park features a remarkable combination of high elevation plateaus, excellent air quality, sparse population, and lots of cloud-free weather – perfect conditions for night sky watching!

Nevada’s Great Basin National Park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in spring 2016. On a clear, moonless night, you can spot thousands of stars, numerous planets, star clusters, meteors, the Andromeda Galaxy, and the Milky Way – all with the naked eye! The park’s astronomy programs are usually offered May-September. The park also hosts an annual Astronomy Festival, full moon hikes, and the Star Train, in partnership with the Nevada Northern Railway. Check ahead for schedules!

Summer night programs at Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve are a great way to experience and understand the night sky and the park’s nocturnal ecology. To make the most out of a nighttime star-viewing excursion, plan on visiting during a moonless night, or a night with a late moonrise, especially during the late summer and fall, to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. Full moon nights can also make a surreal walk along the dunes without a need for a flashlight.

Hovenweep National Monument preserves six prehistoric Puebloan-era villages along the Utah-Colorado border, and it’s a unique experience to gaze up at the same sky ancestral Puebloans looked up at 800 years ago. Stargazing and exploring the night sky is allowed from the visitor center parking lot and campground, and park rangers present stargazing programs in the spring and summer. Check the park’s website calendar for upcoming events.

Boasting some of the darkest nights in Southern California, Joshua Tree National Park offers visitors the chance to admire the Milky Way and many other stars throughout the park on clear and moonless nights. If you’re planning on stargazing, make sure to bring food, water, a chair, and extra layers for when the temperatures drop in the evening. Use red lights only – not bright white flashlights, headlamps, or cell phones – to allow your eyes to fully adjust to very low light conditions.

You can enjoy the dark night sky in California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park nearly anywhere in the park, since there are very few lights in the park at night. To further improve your view of the night sky, move away from buildings, headlights, or camp lights, but be careful to avoid areas that are wet or have uneven terrain. Though stars are more visible when the moon is new or below the horizon, experienced hikers can also enjoy a full moon hike along some trails in the park.

Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park was certified as an International Dark Sky Park in 2021, and while the park’s fragile archeological sites, trails, and backcountry are closed at night, there are plenty of good spots to enjoy views of the night sky. Numerous overlooks along the park road remain open to the public, and for those looking for an extended stay, Morefield Campground and Far View Lodge offer great stargazing spots and sometimes host ranger-led evening programs.

At Utah’s Natural Bridges National Monument trails are open day and night, and night sky gazing is allowed virtually everywhere in the park. The park is working to preserve the dark sky by using only artificial lighting needed for safety, as well as low-energy, low-impact bulbs to direct light to the ground. Rangers offer stargazing programs in the spring and summer, so if you’re planning on visiting during those seasons, check out the park’s website for the most updated calendar.

Tennessee’s Obed Wild & Scenic River was designated an International Dark Sky Association International Dark Sky Park in 2017. Take a short walk from the Lilly Overlook picnic area to a large boardwalk overlook with benches at Lilly Bluff Overlook for unobstructed, sweeping views in all directions. Or check out the Historic Nemo Bridge at night – a favorite spot for astrophotographers to capture a glimpse of the Milky Way framed by the bridge structure.

With 95% of the park designated as wilderness, as well as an absence of human-caused light, Washington’s Olympic National Park is a great place to experience natural darkness and the splendor of our night sky. Warm summer months bring drier weather conditions to the Olympic Peninsula – good conditions for catching a glimpse of the natural lightscape. Night sky programs are offered in the park during the summer – check ahead for exact dates and times.

Due to park hours, the gates are closed at Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park from about dusk until around dawn. But those who backpack into the wilderness area to camp overnight can get a glimpse of the park’s clear night skies and even the path of the Milky Way, thanks to the dry conditions and location of the park. Several times a year, evening programs at the park offer opportunities to explore the night skies.

Surrounded by the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians Reservation, which became an official International Dark Sky Community in 2014, Arizona’s Pipe Spring National Monument is certified by the International Dark Sky Association as a dark sky destination. The park preserves the rich history of Pipe Spring and its flowing water, including the traditions of the Kaibab Paiute and Mormon settlers. Visiting the park, you can gaze up at the same skies people reflected under hundreds of years ago.

Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and its surrounding communities are working hard to protect the night sky. As facilities are constructed or remodeled in the park, exterior light fixtures are installed that protect the night sky from light pollution. Ahead of your visit, check the park’s website to see how weather conditions may affect your stargazing possibilities, as well as if the park is offering any ranger-led stargazing programs.

New Mexico’s Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is comprised of three distinct sites, each a reminder of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ encounters. The park is equally inspiring and impressive at night! The park has been hosting annual astronomy events since 1986, thanks to the Lake County and Albuquerque Astronomical Societies. Check out a park event to see the moon, other planets and their moons, and even distant nebulae and galaxies through telescopes.

The stars along the lakeshore of Lake Michigan are quite a sight, and one of the best spots is within Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There are many prime stargazing locations within the park, including along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Thoreson Farm, Platte River Point, the parking lot of Dune Climb, or any of the beaches along Lake Michigan. Or check out a Night Sky program – visit the park’s website for exact times and locations before you head out.

Designated as an International Dark Sky Park in 2019, Arizona’s Tonto National Monument helps preserve the night skies, enabling visitors to see the sky as it would have appeared 700 years ago to the Salado people. It’s believed that the Salado used the night sky to navigate extensive trade networks throughout the Southwest. The park offers various Night Sky programs, typically November through April, so check out the park’s website and events calendar as you’re planning your trip.

In 2018, Arizona’s Tumacácori National Historical Park was designated an International Dark Sky Park. Building on a dark sky conservation movement that began in southern Arizona in the 1980’s, the park continues to take measures to preserve the night sky and raise awareness of the importance of conserving visibility of the night skies. Join one of the park’s evening programs to stargaze with rangers – check ahead for the schedule on the park’s website.

New Mexico’s Valles Caldera National Preserve was declared an official International Dark Sky Park in 2021. Attend one of the park’s astronomy events, where laser-wielding rangers and volunteers will have high-powered telescopes for talks, activities, and more. If you're looking to observe the night sky on your own, stop at one of the pullouts along Highway 4. Be sure to bring extra layers for warmth and red lights when you’re setting out to explore the night sky!

At Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, you can catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, shooting stars, and even the International Space Station! The best stargazing locations include the Voyageurs Forest Overlook, Beaver Pond Overlook, and the Kettle Falls Dam area, as well as many of the park’s lakeshores, clearings, or campsite docks with unobstructed views. The park hosts night programs throughout the year, so check their website’s calendar before heading out.

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park rests along the border between the United States and Canada, straddling the northern Rocky Mountains. The section of the park that lies within the United States, in Montana, offers ranger-led activities and nighttime programs throughout the summer. The Canadian section of the park, which lies in Alberta, recommends checking out Cameron Bay, Red Rock Parkway, and the Bison Paddock overlook for night sky viewing.

The Flagstaff Area National Monuments – Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon, and Wupatki and their immediate environs – have exceptional night skies that produce little light pollution of their own. The parks are near Flagstaff, a city with a population of over 65,000 people. In 2001 Flagstaff became the first International Dark Sky City and has progressive lighting codes that prevent unnecessary light pollution. Check out the park’s website for more information.