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Dark skies, protected places

Every national park, each with tonight's sky computed for its exact coordinates. Sort by what actually decides the trip: how far it is and how dark it gets.

Planning a night through (optional)

Pick your dates and any park you open will chart those nights.

Certified Dark-Sky Places only

A brilliant sunset filled with hues of blue, red, orange, magenta, and purple highlight the sky.

Acadia National Park

ME

A crowd of people sit and watch the sunset at delicate arch.

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Arches National Park

UT

Layered badlands formations behind fields of green grass under cloudy and billowing clouds.

Badlands National Park

SD

Blooming Cenizo

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Big Bend National Park

TX · Bortle 1: pristine, the Milky Way casts shadows

Coral reef with two snorkelers diving below the surface

Biscayne National Park

FL

Black Canyon near Tomichi Point

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park

CO

A red rock landscape and plateau forest glows with the morning sun

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Bryce Canyon National Park

UT

a broad stone arch with rock pinnacles in the distance

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Canyonlands National Park

UT

Wingate Sandstone cliffs behind historic barn and farmhouse

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Capitol Reef National Park

UT

Photo of Giant Dome and Twin Domes in the Big Room.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

NM

Steep, rugged ocean cliffs extending in an island chain.

Channel Islands National Park

CA

View of the Congaree River during the Fall

Congaree National Park

SC

A view of Crater Lake and Wizard Island

Crater Lake National Park

OR

People in bright orange kayaks paddle around a bend in a river, past green trees and a rocky shore.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park

OH

badlands bathed in pale pink and orange light from the setting sun

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Death Valley National Park

CA,NV

a white colored sheep standing on a mountainside overlooking a green valley

Denali National Park & Preserve

AK

A few of the stars at night with a view of Fort Jefferson.

Dry Tortugas National Park

FL

A sunset creates a silhouette of a cypress tree with needle-like leaves that is shaped like an 'N'.

Everglades National Park

FL

Aerial view of the Alatna River as it winds through a valley

Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve

AK

The Gateway Arch and Old Courthouse with a row of pink blooming cherry trees in front

Gateway Arch National Park

MO

Cruising Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve

AK

A small, brown and white structure sits on a rocky top with mountain peaks in the distance.

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Glacier National Park

MT

The canyon glows orange as people visit Mather Point, a rock outcropping that juts into Grand Canyon

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Grand Canyon National Park

AZ

Backpackers in North Fork Cascade Canyon, Grand Teton behind

Grand Teton National Park

WY

blue sky with green trees in mountain cirque

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Great Basin National Park

NV

Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunset

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

CO

A thick layer of frost covers the fields, trees, and mountains in Cades Cove.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NC,TN

El Capitan with blooming claret cup cacti

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

TX

'Ahinahina blooms in Haleakala crater

Haleakalā National Park

HI

Rocky coastline with palm trees and a cliff beyon

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

HI

A pink sky above gentle white buildings

Hot Springs National Park

AR

Michigan Lake beach with green grassy dunes in the background, under a blue sky.

Indiana Dunes National Park

IN

Ice floes float in a harbor

Isle Royale National Park

MI

The sky turns hues of pink and purple over a field of Joshua trees.

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Joshua Tree National Park

CA · Bortle 2: truly dark, the Milky Way is stunning

salmon jumping at waterfall

Katmai National Park & Preserve

AK

aerial image of Bear Glacier

Kenai Fjords National Park

AK

sun setting on sand dunes

Kobuk Valley National Park

AK

Photo of blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflect in calm lake with mountains in the background.

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve

AK

A frozen lake below snow-covered trees and peak

Lassen Volcanic National Park

CA

A cascade of water pours over a rock ledge. Green foliage is in the background.

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Mammoth Cave National Park

KY

Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcove

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Mesa Verde National Park

CO

A purple and pink streaked sky over a mountain peak and forested valley.

Mount Rainier National Park

WA

sun rising over the New River Gorge

New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

WV

boats on the water with mountains and trees surrounding

North Cascades National Park

WA

A herd of elk crossing a river.

Olympic National Park

WA

Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness Area

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Petrified Forest National Park

AZ

Boulders in the Balconies Cave.

Pinnacles National Park

CA

A frozen lake under snow with mountains in the distance

Rocky Mountain National Park

CO

Saguaro flowers

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Saguaro National Park

AZ

A deep canyon with a forested floor and steep granite cliffs

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

CA

A man stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the receding mountains.

Shenandoah National Park

VA

A colorfully striped butte in the foreground overlooks a dark green badlands landscape

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

ND

Turquoise water laps white sandy shore fringed with lush green vegetation.

Virgin Islands National Park

VI

Northern Lights over Voyageurs National Park waters

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Voyageurs National Park

MN

White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.

White Sands National Park

NM

a bison cow and calf on the prairie

Wind Cave National Park

SD

Glaciers loom over the ocean with large snowy mountains rising into blue skies

Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve

AK

Brilliant blues and greens of a hot spring ringed by oranges, yellows, reds, and browns.

Yellowstone National Park

ID,MT,WY

Two tall waterfalls flowing down snow covered granite walls.

Yosemite National Park

CA · Bortle 3: rural, the Milky Way is obvious

A triangular sandstone mountain overlooks green and yellow foliage. A cloudy blue sky is overhead.

★ Dark-Sky Certified

Zion National Park

UT