Lay out a blanket after the sun goes down and see a clearer view of the galaxy at these designated dark-sky parks.
National parks are some of the best places in the world to appreciate dark night skies because the National Park Service works to protect these places from the increasingly prevalent effects of light pollution.
Dark-Sky National Parks
These national parks have been recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association for their dark night skies.
See more ›Dozens of national parks around the country have earned designations as International Dark Sky Parks and Sanctuaries. These distinctions by DarkSky International recognize exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.
In late 2023, Saguaro National Park in Arizona earned certification as an Urban Night Sky Place, one of only nine in the world. This certification recognizes sites that are near or surrounded by large urban areas, and whose planning and design actively promote an authentic nighttime experience in the midst of artificial light. The only other National Park Service unit with this distinction is Timpanogos Cave National Monument in northern Utah.
Many of these parks have astronomy programs where people of all ages can learn more about the wonders of the night sky — and all of them have places to lay out a blanket and simply enjoy the darkness.
(Click the images to enlarge them.)
Arches National Park, Utah
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Buffalo National River, Arkansas
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico
Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico
Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Craters of The Moon National Monument, Idaho
Curecanti National Recreation Area, Colorado
Death Valley National Park, California
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah
El Morro National Monument, New Mexico
Flagstaff Area National Monuments, Arizona (Sunset Crater Volcano, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monuments)
Glacier National Park, Montana
(and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada; together, these two parks make up Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first International Dark-Sky Park spanning an international border)
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado
Hovenweep National Monument, Colorado and Utah
Joshua Tree National Park, California
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Site, Texas
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Pipe Spring National Monument, Arizona
Rainbow Bridge National Monument, Utah
Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah
Tonto National Monument, Arizona
Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Zion National Park, Utah
Additional U.S. dark-sky parks, not pictured
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado
- Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico
- Obed Wild and Scenic River, Tennessee
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, New Mexico
- Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico
Learn more about how you can fight light pollution and support dark skies on the International Dark-Sky Association website.
This is an updated version of a previously published story.
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General
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- Parks:
- Big Bend National Park
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Capulin Volcano National Monument
- Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Chaco Culture National Historical Park
- Craters Of The Moon National Monument & Preserve
- Death Valley National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Great Basin National Park
- Hovenweep National Monument
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Natural Bridges National Monument
- Obed Wild & Scenic River
- Arches National Park
- Buffalo National River
- Dinosaur National Monument
- Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
- Tonto National Monument
- Walnut Canyon National Monument
- Wupatki National Monument
- Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Cape Lookout National Seashore
- Chiricahua National Monument
- Curecanti National Recreation Area
- El Morro National Monument
- Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
- Fort Union National Monument
- Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park
- Mammoth Cave National Park
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Pipe Spring National Monument
- Rainbow Bridge National Monument
- Tumacacori National Historical Park
- Valles Caldera National Preserve
- Voyageurs National Park
- Zion National Park
- Saguaro National Park
- Timpanogos Cave National Monument
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