Stargazers looking to escape a city full of lights and enter a sky full of stars are in luck thanks to the many parks and monuments that provide beautiful scenic views.
States like California, Colorado, and Utah have popular camping locations known for breathtaking views of the night stars.
Some locations have dangerously hot temperatures while others are well-known locations for people who are looking to ski in the winter.
The areas that provide travelers with the famous night skies they are looking to see on their trips are all different in ways that involve activities, history, and stargazing sky protection.
From popular tourist spots, to night skies hardly viewed by anyone, stargazers everywhere may be proud to witness all the locations that contain the beautiful night views filled with enough stars to create unforgettable experiences.
Joshua Tree National Park in California is a beautiful location for fans of the great outdoors who are looking to gaze into a scenic night sky in a thriving area of more than 800,000 acres. However, visitors should make sure to bring their sunblock since daytime temperatures at the park can reach over 100 degrees
Other than the beautiful sunset and sunrise views, visitors who go to Joshua Tree may spot large herds of bighorn sheep and black tailed rabbits. Visitors have also seen coyotes and kangaroo rats in the area, and anyone who looks up at the daylight sky when not staring at the stars during the winter can spot migrating birds
Death Valley National Park in California and Nevada might be morbidly named, but the area itself provides breathtaking views for travelers who don’t mind going to one of the hottest and driest national parks. Anyone who may be sensitive to the sun should bring as much skin protection as possible due to the record heat and droughts
Visitors staying in Death Valley can spot fields of wildflowers during the warm season if it rains and winter snow throughout the peaks seen throughout the national park. Sadly, outdoor lovers looking to visit during the 2023 winter season may have a difficult time accessing the park since rare flood damage ruined several roads near the area
Hikers at Death Valley looking for even more unique views can go to Zabriskie Point – a popular location known for its sunrises and sunsets at the national park. It was named after Christian Zabriskie, who was the vice president of the Pacific Coast Borax mining company that was located in Death Valley and shipped its products from the area’s railroad
Despite the number of animals spotted within the parks in California, droughts have caused several environmental emergencies that have led to the death of various mammals
Anyone visiting or living in Montana hoping to catch fantastic views of the Northern Lights and the Milky Way can make their way over to Glacier National Park near Lake McDonald. The beautiful spot also contains a variety of melting glaciers and alpine meadows throughout the park that includes over 700 miles of trails
Luckily for stargazers, the environment is undisturbed of light and air pollution, meaning the skies should be relatively clear and beautiful for most of the year at the Glacier National Park. However, visitors should also be careful when enjoying the sky, since the area is covered with nocturnal areas who get disturbed by light pollution
Located in Baker, Nevada, the Great Basin National Park is full of huge starry skies and hardly any big crowds of visitors. Travelers looking for a beautiful spot to stay and look at the stars are in luck with this location since it’s one of the least visited national parks
Visitors can find various lakes and limestone caves throughout Great Basin National Park located halfway between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountain Ranges. It’s a paradise for hikers looking for a quiet adventure. However, it may be best for travelers who are a long ways away from Nevada go on a long road trip to the park, since the closest national airports (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas) are nearly 300 miles away from Great Basin
One unique feature of Great Basin National Park that may be a reason why hikers look to visit there is because its the home of Wheeler Peak – the second tallest peak in Nevada. It will lead climbers to a wonderful night skylight, and give them a heavy workout since the peak in more than 13,000 feet tall
One famous tourist spot for travelers in California is the Joshua Tree National Park in the south.
It’s location has been known for its droughts and high temperatures, but it’s also gained fame for being one of the areas that look over the Coachella Valley – the area where the annual Coachella festival takes place.
Other than the hot temperatures and large desert lands, Joshua Tree National Park is a clear area that is an International Dark Sky Park, which means that it is a protected area that preserves and protects dark sites through responsible lighting policies and public education.
Travelers looking to go outside of California can also visit Montana and Nevada, states with beautiful locations that provide great views of stars and the northern lights.
A popular Nevada National Park in Nevada is Great Basin, which features a peak of more than 13,000 tall to view stars in an area that is also an International Dark Sky Parks.
Hikers who aren’t looking to climb the 13,000 tall peak at Great Basin National Park can travel to Arizona and hike up the Chiricahua Mountains, which are the highest peaks in Arizona. The mountain with a high point of more than 9,700 feet is located in various Arizona areas, including the Chiricahua National Monument, the Chiricahua Wilderness, and the Southwestern Research Center
Arizona travelers who hope to get a beautifully view of the sky without climbing a mountain can go to Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction. Other visitors will likely be around to all see the night skies, especially since there are 134 campsites for travelers to stay in during their trip to the state park
Nice long walks in Scottsdale, Arizona can be taken on the Brown’s Ranch Trail full of areas where visitors can hike, bike, or ride horses. Visitors may be able to spot historic ranching era artifacts on their trail journeys and maybe even walk past the Saguaro Cactus-Desert Landscape. Travelers should not be surprised if they spot children on a school day since some of the trail’s many visitors are students going to the trail on a field trip
One national park where travelers can spot close to five million visits a year is the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. Travelers can experience a wide variety of activities and tours near the national park that is only a small part of the Grand Canyon that is also located in Nevada, Utah, and Colorado
The national park’s wonderful views of the starry night skies and red rocks can be viewed from places like Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station, and the Desert View Watchtower. It’s unclear how much the skies affect the amount of money spent by tourists looking to visit the national park, but the areas will likely not close down anytime soon since an estimated $710 million was spent by visitors in 2021
If the Grand Canyon National Park is too big for travelers, they can make their way to the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument in Flagstaff. The volcano erupted in 1085 AD, and despite an eruption scare in 2015, the Sunset Crater was confirmed to be extinct by geologists later that year, making it safe for all tourists looking for extravagant night skies in Flagstaff
Visitors who are hoping for starry nights in Arizona that aren’t excited for camping are in luck with the relaxing Quailway Cottage between the Chiricahua Mountains and the Peloncillo Mountain near Portal. Fully furnished surrounded by excellent birdlife, travelers who don’t mind spending at least $100 a night can get the scenic view they’re looking for outdoors without needing to sleep outside
Interesting Arizona stargazing areas include ones that don’t require travelers to camp outside.
One of these locations is Quailway Cottage, located between the Chiricahua and Peloncillo Mountains near Portal.
Visitors would have to spend at least $100 a night, but it may be worth it if it means one can stargaze and not sleep outside with a variety of nocturnal animals.
It is also home to the Grand Canyon National Park, which could be considered one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US.
An interesting place one may be afraid to go to is the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, which is located on an actual volcano in Flagstaff.
Travelers and astronomers love to travel to the now-extinct volcano to witness the stars that fill the dark skies.
The volcano park even includes summer night star events related to the dark skies, one being solar viewing at the Sunset Crater Volcano Visitor Center.
Travelers looking for views outside of states like California and Arizona can spot them in Utah by going to the Natural Bridges National Monument in San Juan County. Historians may also wish to visit since Natural Bridges is Utah’s first-ever monument in the state. The Owachomo Bridge is one of the three bridges where visitors can find stars filling the night skies at the monument
The Owachomo Natural Bridge spans 180 feet and it measures up to 106 feet tall. It is the smallest of the three bridges located within the Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, the other two being the Kachina and the Sipapu, in honor of ancestral Puebloans who once lived in the area
Utah travelers who don’t mind visiting a popular outdoor area can go to the Capitol Reef National Park in the south-central desert. Over 1.2 million visitors went to the Park in 2022 and have even been able to drive on the trails of a park that is at least 378 miles
Capital Reef Park is full of cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, which alone extends 100 miles. One of the many areas of the park that provides great views without the need for camping is the Temple of the Sun located in the Cathedral Valley around the park. The temple itself must be climbed, but it is also located right near a drivable road
One interesting thing visitors may spot when travelling to the Hovenweep National Monument in Montezuma Creek, Utah is the Tower Point. Standing in this area placed at the junction of two canyons will provide travelers with stellar night time views that is considered to be a must-see when visiting the monument
The Hovenweep National Monument, while known for its scenic views, is also the land that is also located in Colorado that contains evidence of people of paleo Indian descent and from the archaic period. Past and present, there are possibilities that 15,000 stars are in the night sky with little light pollution
The Zion National Park in southwest Utah is great for travelers look for those dark skies to bring out the stars late at night. It also may provide a fun story when coming back from this stargazing adventure since visitors who look at the sky will be able to come home and say the stared at the stars at Utah’s first-ever national park
The Zion National Park is home to several cliffs and hikers may even spot the Rocky Mountain landscape when taking a walking journey within the area. Although travelers who visit Zion may see a little bit of pollution within the mountains, the park will still show off beautiful and clear night skies for anyone who seeks them
The Cedar Breaks National Monument may not be the first one in Utah, but it does help keep the extremely small town of Brian Head popular when it’s not skiing season. When visitors aren’t keeping an eye on the rainbow sunsets behind the tall trees, they can find themselves surrounded by meadows and wildflowers
Once the sunsets fade away, the dark skies take over at Cedar Breaks and provide year-round stargazing events for astronomy lovers in Utah. Travelers who aren’t camping looking to enjoy the skies will have no choice but to do so in their cars, since camping is not permitted outside the campground
If one is a traveler that will not risk visiting a monument during skiing season, they can go to the Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. The location receives close to one million visitors a year and is divided into four districts by the Colorado River: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and all of the other surrounding bodies of water
Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah is a bit different from the others, especially since the park is not only known for scenic views, but also for its spire-shaped rock formations and horseshoe-shaped amphitheaters. Star lovers will likely enjoy Bryce Canyon’s annual Astronomy Festival, which includes telescope viewings and constellation tours. The 2024 festival will be from June 5-8
Utah includes a variety of stargazing locations famous for a variety of events it puts on to celebrate astrology and the proof of its connection to paleo people.
The Hovenweep National Monument in Montezuma Creek contains evidence of the existence of paleo people and others from the archaic period.
It’s also a Utah location that can have as many as 15,000 starts in the night sky every night.
Travelers hoping to have a little bit of fun in the Utah area can enjoy the Astronomy Festival held every year at Bryce Canyon National Park.
The park, already known for its scenic views, puts on the festival every year and offers visitors telescope viewings and constellation tours.
This year’s festival has already happened, but the dates for the 2024 celebration are June 5-8.
Travelers who are not up for visiting locations in Utah can go to Colorado and travel up the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. These dwellings are known by the National Park Service as some of the most notable and best preserved cliffs in North America, where people can visit and stargaze into the huge night sky
Visitors who aren’t a big fan of climbing mountains at the Mesa Verde National Park can also spot beautiful views by walking up the Point Lookout Trail. The 2.2 roundtrip tail may take at least two hours to finish, but it will be a quiet oasis for people only looking for day-time trips without encountering bicycles or animals
Despite the name, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve near Alamosa, Colorado is not just known for its mounds of sand. The park does have the tallest dunes in North America, but it also includes loads of grasslands, wetlands, forests, lakes, and tundras
Travelers who visit the Great Sand Dunes can find lodging surrounding the area all season round. However, this park is the perfect place to find stars in a dark sky, especially since this location is an International Dark Sky Park, meaning Great Sand Dunes will be protected from the harmful effects of light pollution
Residents and visitors of New Mexico who love the stars may want to visit the Fajada Butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park in San Juan County. The park has been referred to as the center of an ancient world due to its connection the Ancestral Puebloan people and is considered by many enthusiasts to be one of the best places in America to stargaze
Two popular programs available at the Chaco Culture National Historic Park include the Night Sky initiative and Night Sky Program. Chaco’s Night Sky Initiative is a combination of modern approaches to viewing the sky through the eyes of the Chacoan people and astronomers participate in the Chaco Night Sky Program to help monitor levels of light pollution in the region
The western and southern US does have incredible stargazing locations, but travelers closer to Minnesota and near the Canadian border can visit the Voyageur’s National Park to see starry skies just as beautiful. The entire park is at least 218,055 acres in size and contains several bodies of water, cliffs, and forests
Clear and moonless nights are the best times to find stars in the Minnesota sky at Voyageurs. Upcoming visitors are also in luck since the park is filled with several open horizons that give travelers scenic daytime and nigh time views. The National Park Service suggests two great stargazing locations: The Meadwood Road Day Use Area and the upper parking lot at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center
Other major areas to star gaze in the west are Colorado and New Mexico.
The Chaco Culture National Historical Park is the place to go for anyone interested in learning more about history and astronomy.
The two programs that take place at the park include the Chaco’s Night Sky Initiative and the Chaco Night Sky Program.
The Night Sky Initiative combines the teaching of stargazing practices from the Chacoan people, along with modern day techniques to get the perfect star view in the night skies.
Their Night Sky Program is more for amateur astronomers who help monitor the levels of light pollution.
This popular program has over 3,000 annual visitors and include volunteers that help the park present programs that are connected to the Chacoan people.
