Blog Post May 12, 2020

Celebrate Dark Skies at These 27 National Parks

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Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the universe at these designated dark-sky parks.

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A man enjoys the starry sky after dark at Joshua Tree National Park.   camera icon Photo © Michael Ver Sprill/iStockphoto.

National parks are some of the best places in the world to appreciate dark night skies because the National Park Service works to protect these places from the increasingly prevalent effects of light pollution.

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Dark-Sky National Parks

These 27 national parks have been recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association for their dark night skies.

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These 27 national parks have all earned designations as International Dark Sky Parks and Sanctuaries. This distinction recognizes “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment,” according to the International Dark-Sky Association.

Looking for vacation inspiration? Many of these parks have astronomy programs where people of all ages can learn more about the wonders of the night sky — and all of them have places to lay out a blanket and simply enjoy the darkness.

(Click the images to enlarge them.)

 

Arches National Park, Utah

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A night view of the North Window at Arches National Park.

  camera icon Jacob W. Frank/National Park Service

 

Big Bend National Park, Texas

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Big Bend National Park   camera icon Photo © Tyler Nordgren

 

Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida

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The night sky at Big Cypress National Park.

  camera icon Photo © Aaron Umpierre

 

Buffalo National River, Arkansas

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The Milky Way seen from Tyler Bend at Buffalo National River.

  camera icon C. Littlejohn/National Park Service

 

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

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Canyonlands National Park.   camera icon Photo © Kwiktor/Dreamstime.

 

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

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The Milky Way over Hickman Bridge at Capitol Reef National Park.

  camera icon National Park Service

 

Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico

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The night sky at a June 2017 star party at Capulin Volcano National Monument.

  camera icon Photo © Tamera Morton.

 

Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah

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The Milky Way over Cedar Breaks National Monument.   camera icon Photo © Phyllis D. Peterson/Dreamstime.

 

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico

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A time-lapse image of stars over Casa Rinconada at Chaco Culture National Historical Park.   camera icon National Park Service photo.

 

Craters of The Moon National Monument, Idaho

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The Milky Way seen over a volcanic cone at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.   camera icon Photo © Seth Galewyrick/Dreamstime.

 

Death Valley National Park, California

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The Milky Way over the Racetrack at Death Valley National Park.   camera icon NPS photo by Dan Duriscoe.

 

Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah

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The Quarry Exhibit Hall under a starry sky at Dinosaur National Monument.

  camera icon Jake Holgerson/National Park Service

 

Flagstaff National Monuments, Arizona (Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monuments)

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Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki (shown here) National Monuments together make up Flagstaff’s internationally recognized dark-sky parks.

  camera icon Elliot Schultz/National Park Service

 

Glacier National Park, Montana

(and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada; together, these two parks make up Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first International Dark-Sky Park spanning an international border)

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A colorful night sky over Glacier National Park.   camera icon NPS photo by Jacob W. Frank.

 

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

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Night falls over the Cape Royal Trail at the North Rim of Grand Canyon.   camera icon NPS photo by Jeremy M. White.

 

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

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The night sky over Wheeler Peak at Great Basin National Park.   camera icon National Park Service photo.

 

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

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Stars over the dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

  camera icon Patrick Meyers/National Park Service

 

Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado and Utah

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The Milky Way rises over Ancestral Puebloan masonry ruins of the Square Tower Group at Hovenweep National Monument. NPS photo by Jacob W. Frank.  

 

Joshua Tree National Park, California

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A starry night sky over the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.   camera icon NPS photo by Lian Law.

 

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

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Volunteers prepare for a night of stargazing at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

  camera icon © John Meader/Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters

 

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

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Stars over Owachomo Bridge at National Bridges National Monument.   camera icon NPS photo by Jacob W. Frank.

 

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

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Stars over Hoodoo Ridge at Petrified Forest National Park.

  camera icon Jacob Holgerson/National Park Service

 

Tonto National Monument, Arizona

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The night sky over the Lower Cliff Dwelling at Tonto National Monument.

  camera icon National Park Service

 

Additional U.S. dark-sky parks, not pictured

Learn more about how you can fight light pollution and support dark skies on the International Dark-Sky Association website.

This is an updated version of a previously published story.

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