Nevada is an interesting dark sky state. Las Vegas is one of the brightest points of light on the planet from orbit, yet the state's vast, empty desert interior produces some of the darkest skies anywhere in the country. The two certified sites here sit as far from Las Vegas as you can get while still being in Nevada, and the contrast could not be sharper.
Great Basin National Park — Bortle 1, Gold Tier
Great Basin National Park holds a Gold Tier certification from DarkSky International, the highest level awarded. Baker, Nevada, the nearest town, has fewer than 100 residents. The surrounding Great Basin desert stretches for hundreds of miles in every direction with minimal development, and the result is a Bortle 1 sky that puts this park among the darkest certified sites in the country. At 10,000 feet on Wheeler Peak the atmosphere is thin and transparent, and the ancient bristlecone pines near the summit, some over 4,000 years old, make for an extraordinary foreground.
The park also contains Lehman Caves, a marble cave system with guided tours running year-round. Great Basin is one of the least visited national parks in the lower 48, which is genuinely difficult to explain. The combination of Gold Tier dark skies, ancient trees, a cave system, and Nevada's best alpine terrain in a single park is exceptional. If you have not been, go.
Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area — Bortle 1
Massacre Rim is one of the newest International Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the country, covering roughly 100,000 acres of remote high desert in northwestern Nevada near the Oregon border. There are no facilities, no services, and no cell coverage. The BLM-managed area was designated specifically because of its darkness, and the designation is warranted. Bortle 1 conditions in one of the least-visited corners of the lower 48. For experienced backcountry stargazers who want absolute darkness and complete solitude, Massacre Rim is one of the best destinations in the West. Come fully self-sufficient.
Planning Your Trip
Both sites are best visited from late spring through fall. Great Basin sees snow at higher elevations from October through May, and Wheeler Peak Road closes in winter. Massacre Rim is a dry desert environment that becomes uncomfortably hot in July and August. The sweet spots are May through June and September through October, when temperatures are manageable and skies are stable. For Great Basin, Baker has a small lodge and a handful of services. For Massacre Rim, the nearest substantial town is Lakeview, Oregon, about 70 miles north.