Blogger Hannah Lehr shares the 5 Best National Parks to visit for Stargazing.
America’s National Park system has so much to offer when it comes to natural beauty. Taking a night to camp overnight in a park is a great way to turn a visit into a magical experience. Some parks are better than others when it comes to visibility when stargazing. These five parks are known for showcasing incredible illuminations at night.
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Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park in Southeastern Utah is one of the best (if not the best) places in the country for stargazing. It was awarded the title of an International Dark Sky Park, and for good reasons. The naked eye is enough to see a wealth of stars. This desert along the Colorado Plateau is home to some of the darkest skies in the contiguous 48 United States. On a moonless night, plenty of constellations paint themselves across the sky.
Some of the best and most popular places to view the night sky in the park are Mesa Arch, Grand View Overlook, and Green River overlook. Mesa Arch requires a short hike, so be sure to bring a flashlight with you. All these spots are located within the Island of the Sky Mesa district of the park. They are much more accessible and closest to Moab.
If you’re willing to venture out into the Needles District, you’ll be rewarded with solitude, more campsite options, and incredible stargazing opportunities. The rock spires obstruct the view a bit, making the landscape more diverse and interesting. This is a popular spot for photographers willing to do a bit of hiking.
Check out the visitor center during the day and see if you can join a stargazing event. There are events held throughout the Summer at both Arches and Canyonlands National Park. Be prepared to miss out on some sleep, as many don’t begin until 9 P.M. and can last a few hours.
For great stargazing near Canyonlands, check out Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. Both parks are also allocated the title of “International Dark Sky Park.” Expect world-class stargazing in this area.
Want to do some camping? Island in the Sky only has 12 first come, first served campsites. Luckily, there are plenty of BLM sites to be found along the road just as you are leaving the park and headed towards Moab. Most of these sites are primitive and require a minimal fee which can be paid at recreation.gov.
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Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, located in Southwest Colorado, is also an International Dark Sky Park. This incredible park is underrated as it is, but few think to visit at night. Such a shame, though, as this park is one of the best places in the country to view the Milky Way. It shines brightest during the Summer and rises higher and higher throughout the night, making this the perfect place for stargazing.
The best part about this park is the short .3-mile hikes to a few of the overlooks, allowing you to get an unobstructed view of the stars without the headlights from the road behind you. Check out Chasm View, Dragon Point, and Sunset View along the canyon’s South Rim for incredible views.
If you venture out to the more secluded North Rim, check out the stars from Kneeling Camel Viewpoint or from the Chasm View Nature Trail. Both spots are secluded from the road, and you’ll likely be alone as you view the stars. These are great spots for astro-photographers looking for peace while they shoot.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison also hosts an astronomy festival every year during late September. Most activities are held in the South Rim, and there is plenty to do. During the day, you can attend lectures held by volunteer astrologists at the South Rim visitor center. At night, learn more about the night skies and get the opportunity to use a telescope.
There are campgrounds located on each rim with limited spots on a reservation basis. Reservations can be made online at recreation.gov. There are also campsites located in East Portal, which can be driven down to during the summer months. Temperatures drop significantly at night, so be sure to bring layers.
For great stargazing near the Black Canyon, check out the night sky at the Dominguez-Escalante Canyon, or at the campsites in the Curecanti National Forest.
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Gates of the Arctic National Park
This park is difficult to get to but very well worth it, especially because of its stargazing opportunities. This park is in Northern Alaska past the Arctic circle. It is one of the best places to view stars in the United States because of its remoteness. Less than 1/20 of 1% of Alaska is inhabited, leaving so much untouched wilderness to be explored. There are no towns, roads, or buildings within the park, so the skies are bound to be unpolluted and dark.
Unfortunately, the best time to visit and see the stars is during the freezing winter! The dark mountains and cold, dry weather provide excellent stargazing opportunities. Also, during the Summer, the Gates of the Arctic experiences the midnight sun phenomenon. Though this is interesting to see, it’s not very great when you want to look at the stars.
Winter is also the best time to see the Northern Lights. Seeing the aurora borealis is a dream for many adventurers and photographers. The lights may make their appearance anytime from 9pm to 2am, but the best sightings often happen around midnight. Find a cozy outfit to keep you warm in the frigid temperatures as you await the lights. There are a few apps that predict auroral activity, but it is a phenomenon that is notoriously difficult to predict. Therefore, it’s best to camp out for a couple days and watch every night.
There are also tour groups you can follow if you’re looking for an informational experience, or if you only have one night in the Arctic. Though you aren’t guaranteed to see the Northern Lights, the rangers will be able to point out the signs and are more likely to find them. Tour groups such as Northern Lights and Arctic Circle Guides or the Alaskan Wilderness Guides are highly rated and recommended to stargazers.
There are no designated campgrounds in the park, yet overnight hikers can pitch their tent anywhere they’d like. It is required that you obtain a permit for your own safety. This landscape is very unforgiving and camping here requires a lot of planning and preparation. Be ready to be self-reliant in extremely cold temperatures. Also, bring bear spray, bearproof food containers, and learn about how to keep safe while camping in Polar Bear Country.
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Voyageurs National Park
Located in Northern Minnesota and known for its vast forests and lakes, very few people make their way to this park. This park is far away from people and is committed to reducing light pollution. Due to the quality of the night skies and sheer remoteness, Voyageurs is one of the most incredible places to camp and stargaze.
There are many viewpoints that are popular among stargazers. These points at Voyageurs Forest, Beaver Pond Overlook, and Kettle Falls Dam provide vast, unobstructed views of the night sky. Viewing the stars at a lakeshore or campsite dock is another great alternative.
Clear, moonless nights are the best times to stargaze. During particularly strong solar storms, the Northern Lights can be seen at Voyageurs! This does not happen as often as it does further North, but many visitors get lucky. Chances of seeing them are highest during the Winter where it gets darker sooner.
Camping here can be a bit complicated, as all campsites except for the primitive sites require a watercraft to access. Sites can all be reserved online for a minimal fee. Backcountry camping in the primitive sites is another option and requires all campers to apply for a permit before doing so.
Be sure to bring layers to beat the chilly temperatures, and bug spray to beat the insane number of bugs in this park! 40% of the park is water, so mosquitos run rampant until the wintertime. A bug net for your tent may also be a worthwhile investment.
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Crater Lake National Park
Southwestern Oregon’s gem Crater Lake is very secluded and hidden among the Cascade Mountains. It is the cleanest and largest lake in the country, only fed by rain and snow. This gives it an incredible, bright blue color mirroring the sky above it. Protected by the National Park Services Dark Sky Team, this park is free from light pollution, allowing you to see millions of stars.
Not only is the sky incredible, but it is also mesmerizing to view the way the lake reflects the night sky. Be sure to catch the sunset at the lake for a spectacular light show of pink, purple, and orange. Anywhere along Rim Road with a view of the caldera is a great place to view the sky.
Camping at Crater Lake is a popular activity in Oregon. Check out the Mazama Campground in the park for both walk-in and RV campsites. Spots can be reserved online. This is the only campground located within the park and is only open during the summer and early fall. Backcountry camping is also allowed within the park, so long as you are at least a mile from the road. If you don’t mind leaving the park, Huckleberry Mountain Campground is just 7 miles away from the park and is open until later October.
Be sure to dress accordingly and pack a winter tent with heavy duty sleeping bags. It gets very cold at Crater Lake and snow can linger until mid-June to July. Temperatures at night in July and August only get to around 40 degrees.
These are not the only national parks great for viewing the night sky. For more, check out Big Bend National Park in TX, Lassen Volcanic National Park in CA, Great Sand Dunes National Park in CO, and Great Basin National Park in NV. Visiting these parks at night is an entirely different experience that can be had with just a little extra planning. Get out of the light-polluted city and see what the world has to offer!
What did you think of the 5 Best National Parks to visit for Stargazing?
Have you had the opportunity to spend nights under the stars at National Parks? Where was this and what was your experience? Please share in the comments below.
Hi! I'm Hannah Lehr, and I'm a travel blogger. Currently, I'm living in my SUV in Arizona, hiding from the Winter. I'm passionate about exploring lesser known destinations and sharing my experiences with others.
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Hannah Lehrhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/hannah-lehr/
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Hannah Lehrhttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/hannah-lehr/
Canyonlands is my choice as there are a lot of photos I’ve seen from my friends.
I was hoping you would have a spot In Colorado to visit. But I think Crater lake would be an amazing location to go star gazing. Hopefully, you can even fish during the daytime.
I’ve been developing a new-found love for stargazing now, esp., to show a night sky full of stars to my daughter and this is right on time. With the title of International Dark Sky Park I wouldn’t want to miss Canyonlands National Park. Being in the middle of the desert in the middle of nowhere, I can understand when you say it is the darkest sky! That said my first choice would definitely be the Arctic National Park with the chance to watch Northern Lights too!
What I love about US is the abundance of National Parks where you can camp and explore. These seem to be some wonderful options. If I had to pick two to visit first, they would be Canyonlands and Craterlake National parks. Lakes with mountains in the background sounds exciting and the snow as well.
We are huge national park lovers and are always interested in to learn more about them. We were just recently in Great Basin NP, Nevada and it looked like a great place to see stars. We really enjoyed it. I have also heard that Joshua Tree NP should be great for that too but we have only been there at daytime.
An amazing list of the best national parks. I never had the opportunity to visit any of these. When I was younger, we would always go camping at the beach.
We’ve never been to any of these National Parks. Hopefully we get to visit them someday and do some stargazing.
I love discovering new places like these! I would like to visit these parks, especially to star gaze at night!
I love stargazing but haven’t been to national parks before. I would love to experience that in real life.
Wow! These parks all look great and very mesmerizing too! Such perfect parks for our stargazing! Loved it and a great find! Hope to visit these parks in the near future!
These locations are so beautiful, and I can only imagine how breathtaking they are at night.
That sounds great. I didn’t know you would go stargazing in parks. The parks we have near us close at a certain time and people aren’t allowed to stay there overnight.
These look like beautiful parks from which to star gaze! I’ll have to add a few to my bucket list!
Wow! What a really nice and great list you have here! I really wanted to experience stargazing!
This a list of heavenly places for sure. I miss being so close to a National Park when we lived in Colorado.
My last time I was stargazing was a very long time ago. Spending the evening staring at the brilliant stars is such an amazing pleasure. Any of these national parks would be perfect for me to try it out again! Thank you for the suggestions!
I must admit I don’t really think of stargazing when I plan my visits to National Parks. But this was a great review of National Parks that offer amazing stargazing. We sure have tried to stay inside National Parks for sunrise and sunset views. But now realize that stargazing is another reason. Good to know that we may need to visit in the winter for the best stargazing. Some great parks to add to our list.
What a dreamy list and perfect for outdoors lovers. Black Canyon national Park and Crater Lake look perfect for me. I can imagine my husband and I enjoying the stars together!
Crater Lake National Park looks so cool! I really enjoy these kind of serene, snowy looking areas with large trees tucked away in the mountains. I was surprised, however, that snow lingers even in July! So perhaps I’ll need to prepare myself a bit for the cold and bring lots of supplies!
This is all great to know. I would love to go to any of these places. I love stargazing.
I would love to star gaze at a park. I loved seeing the moon at the White Sands park.
I did not know that there is such a thing as a nomination as a “International Dark Sky Park”. Interesting. All five national parks look wonderful, even without the stargazing. I probably would choose frosty Crater Lake National Park to see some stars. It looks so remote and peaceful.
Amazing. I just love stargazing and hope to be able to visit these spots one day.
I have such clear memories of star-gazing in the Black Canyon NP! So special. I’ve not made it to Alaska (Yet!) but imagine that Gates of the Arctic is a fabulous place for star gazing too. I loved Crater Lake, but we were not there over night to witness the night skies. Next time!
This is BRILLIANT! I’ve never thought about going to a national park to stargaze! Thanks so much for sharing this! This sounds like so much fun!
Stargazing!!!! Amazing….Last time I’ve done stargazing was years ago, I honestly miss it so much…I would love to go to one of these amazing parks, this summer I hope.
I would love to go on a stargazing holiday sometimes, and actually be prepared for it. I have recently been to Morocco and whilst the night sky was incredible in the desert, it was too cold to stay outdoors for a long time. If I was to visit any of these parks, I would probably go for the Canyonlands National Park, especially because of the unique landscape. I could explore it during the day and star gaze at night. Second, I would choose Crater lake because it is so secluded. That would be such a great experience.
I want to visit all of these! Hoping to take my kiddos to some National parks this summer and these sound perfect.
I never went to a national park to stargaze! This sounds very lovely and love the options you shared here. I don’t think I’ve visited any on the list yet!
With less air pollution and clearer skies, parks are the best to visit this year. Would love to visit one of these.
Crater Lake National Park is calling my name. Very beautiful.
This is a fascinating list of national parks to visit for stargazing. I would love to check out the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska because it just seems so untouched and a different place to visit. I saw the Aurora Borealis in Northern New York when I was a kid, which was so cool!
I LOVE stargazing but I live pretty close to Charlotte, NC, so I don’t always get the best view of the sky. I wish I could go to one of these parks to see a meteor shower, that would be AMAZING!
Great list of the best national parks for stargazing. I’ve never visited any on this list – now I have some new bucket list places! Thank you for the great suggestions!
The Canyonlands National Park sounds very interesting to visit.