Dark Sky Sites by State

Six million acres of wilderness under the auroral oval: aurora on most clear winter nights.

The classic Fairbanks-area aurora spot, 30 minutes from town.

Ridge-top pullouts north of Fairbanks with 360° horizons, a world-famous aurora overlook.

The world's first Dark Sky City and the home of Pluto's discovery.

Certified Dark Sky Park with rim-side star parties.

Southern Arizona Dark Sky Park.

The largest Dark Sky Park in the US, with Gold Tier skies.

High-desert skies two hours from LA.

Yampa Valley dark-sky communities near Steamboat Springs.

Colorado's closest Dark Sky Park to the Front Range.

Colorado's first Dark Sky Community, under the Sangre de Cristos.

Florida's first Dark Sky Park, deep in dry prairie.

Okefenokee Swamp dark-sky park.

9,200 ft on the world's premier astronomy mountain.

Summit stargazing above the clouds on Maui.

Lava-field dark skies in southern Idaho.

The first US Dark Sky Reserve: Stanley/Sun Valley high country.

Illinois' first Dark Sky Park, east of Champaign.

Dark Sky Community on the Indiana Dunes lakeshore.

Certified Dark Sky Sanctuary in Maine's North Woods.

First International Dark Sky Park in New England.

Ocean horizons and the annual Acadia Night Sky Festival.

Ocean horizons an hour from Boston, the region's darkest accessible skies.

Two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline at the Straits of Mackinac; a flagship Great Lakes dark-sky park.

The northern tip of the Upper Peninsula, the best aurora latitude in Michigan.

Southwest Michigan's designated dark-sky county park.

Dark northern horizon over Lake Huron at the tip of the Thumb.

Dark-sky preserve west of Mackinaw City with northern water horizons.

A million-acre certified Dark Sky Sanctuary, the darkest sky in the eastern half of the US.

Minnesota's aurora crown jewel: certified dark skies at the 49th parallel over big open lakes.

The North Shore's aurora capital: Lake Superior gives a flat, dark northern horizon.

Transboundary International Dark Sky Park at 48.7°N, prime aurora latitude.

Montana badlands sanctuary with pristine skies.

Nevada's high-altitude sanctuary of pristine sky.

The Great North Woods, New Hampshire's darkest region.

The first Dark Sky Sanctuary in North America.

Ancient astronomy site with pristine skies.

The darkest skies in New York, minutes from Lake Placid.

Public observatory and star field in the Adirondacks.

Atlantic island darkness, the East Coast's southern gem.

North Dakota badlands with dark skies and frequent aurora.

Ohio's certified Dark Sky Park east of Cleveland.

The East Coast's most famous dark-sky park; astronomy field with 360° horizons.

Vast prairie horizons; regular summer night-sky programs.

Tennessee's certified dark-sky spot on the Cumberland Plateau.

The darkest measured skies of any US national park.

The world's first International Dark Sky Park.

8,000-foot elevation and famous astronomy festivals.

Gold Tier skies in Utah's red-rock country.

Canyon dark skies along I-70.

Virginia's first Dark Sky Park.

Wisconsin's only wilderness park and first Dark Sky Park, at the tip of Door County.

Lake Superior island skies with aurora over the water.