4 Best Places to Stargaze in the United States

stargazing

When was the last time you laid under the night sky and stargazed? According to the International Dark-Sky Association, there are over 120 certified International Dark Sky urban places, nature reserves, and parks worldwide. 

Most of them are located in the United States, with the majority of the designated Dark Sky sites found in the South Western – in states like Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

To help you narrow down where to go stargazing, I’ve put together this list of what I think are the best places to stargaze in the United States.

Star Gazing, Starry Night, Astronomy, Universe, Sky, best places to stargaze in the united states
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Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

In 2016, the Grand Canyon National Park was rewarded with Provisional Dark Sky status. This was only awarded after the village here began to retrofit all its lighting to be darker and stargazing friendly. 

The Grand Canyon is considered one of the Eight Wonders of the world. In this stunning national park, you can hike along the Canyon rims and the Colorado River as you view the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Darkness brings out the dark side of the Grand Canyon which is of course perfect for stargazing.

Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania

Believe it or not, only 10% of Americans have searched the dark sky for the purpose of stargazing.

If you want to enjoy a designated Gold Level Dark Sky Park, then make a point of visiting the Cherry Springs State Park. Here, you’ll notice that there is nothing much to see. In fact, it only has a single one-mile hiking trail, a campground, and a few large fields.

 However, people don’t come here for daytime interactions; they come to see the dark nighttime sky. 

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Death Valley is the largest Dark Sky National Park in America. This park features ranger talks, exploration fairs, family adventures, and guided hikes during the day. At night, visitors come to see and enjoy the night sky party.

The National Park Service at Death Valley together with The Oasis, have taken extraordinary measures to reduce light pollution in the area. They can only achieve this by using outdoor light fixtures that direct light towards the ground. 

The frequent cloudless skies allow gazers to see various constellations.

Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah

Have you been lucky enough to experience a Kenya safari holidays? If the answer is yes, you may have been given a telescope to look at the wild animals by your guide. 

The same happens at the Natural Bridges National Monument, but here you will use the telescope to get a closer look at the stunning stars in this Gold International Dark Sky Park.

This national park runs a very interesting program that teaches you about the ins and outs of astronomy. At night, the sky explodes with celestial bodies and stars, with the pitch-black canyon providing shadowy backdrops.

One of the most prominent tourist trends of the past decade has been to escape the crowds – so why not go off the beaten track to where there are dark, clear skies, crisp air, and low light pollution. And not many people!

The warm summer nights here are perfect for anyone looking to observe the skies and all of its astronomical phenomena.

I’m sure you’ll agree – stargazing in places like those listed above is a bucket-list worthy experience. I hope you will be encouraged to experience these best places to stargaze in the United States.

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