Best Dark Sky Parks in Wyoming
Wyoming is home to the world's first county-wide dark sky community and the world's first certified dark sky airport.
May 2026
Field notes
Stories from under dark skies.
Best Dark Sky Parks in Maine
Maine has the first International Dark Sky Sanctuary on the entire eastern seaboard. The best stargazing spots in the state, deep in the forests of northern New England.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Minnesota
Minnesota is home to the world's largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary and one of the top aurora viewing sites in the contiguous United States.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in North Carolina
The first dark sky park in the Southeast, a Cold War NASA facility, the first Atlantic coastal dark sky park, and the first DarkSky approved lodging on the East Coast.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Florida
Florida is not a state people associate with dark skies, but it has two Bortle 2 certified dark sky parks and some of the most unusual stargazing terrain in the country.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Virginia
Virginia has more certified dark sky parks east of the Mississippi than any other state. The five best stargazing spots, from the Blue Ridge to 60 miles from D.C.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Pennsylvania
Cherry Springs State Park is the second International Dark Sky Park ever certified in the world and the best stargazing site east of the Mississippi.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Michigan
Michigan has four certified dark sky sites, from a remote Lake Michigan island sanctuary to one of the first 10 dark sky parks in the world.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Nevada
Nevada has two of the darkest certified dark sky sites in the country: Great Basin National Park and Massacre Rim.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Montana
Montana's remote mountain wilderness and high plains produce some of the darkest skies in the northern Rockies.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Oregon
Oregon is home to the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world. From 2.5 million acres of Bortle 1 high desert to Crater Lake.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Idaho
Idaho is home to the first designated dark sky reserve in the United States. From the Sawtooth Range to Craters of the Moon.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in New Mexico
From the first dark sky sanctuary in the Northern Hemisphere to a Gold Tier UNESCO World Heritage Site, the best stargazing in New Mexico.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Arizona
Arizona is the birthplace of the dark sky movement. From the Grand Canyon's Gold Tier skies to Flagstaff, the best stargazing spots in the state.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in Colorado
Colorado has more certified dark sky places than almost any other state. From Bortle 1 canyon country to ancient ruins.
May 2026
The Best Dark Sky Parks in Texas (Two States in One, as Far as the Sky Is Concerned)
Texas has more DarkSky International certified locations than any other state. A guide to far West Texas and the Hill Country.
May 2026
How to Choose Your First Telescope Without Wasting Your Money
An honest buying guide: what aperture means, why mounts matter, and which telescopes are actually worth it.
May 2026
Best Dark Sky Parks in California (And Why They're Harder to Find Than You'd Think)
California has just six DarkSky International certified locations. Here's where to actually find dark skies in the state.
May 2026
What the Bortle Scale Actually Means for Your Night Under the Stars
A plain-language guide to what each Bortle level actually looks like, and how to use the number to plan your night.
May 2026
The Best Dark Sky Parks in Utah (And Why Utah Has More Than Anywhere Else on Earth)
Utah has 28 DarkSky International certified locations, more than any other jurisdiction on Earth. A guide to the best.
May 2026
The 2026 Perseids Are Going to Be Exceptional. Here's Where to Watch Them.
A moonless peak on August 12. Here are the best US dark sky spots to watch from.
May 2026
The Night the Sky Doubles Down: Watching the 2026 Eclipse and Perseids from the Same Spot
On August 12, a total solar eclipse and a moonless Perseid peak land on the same night. Here's where to be.
May 2026