Best U.S. National Parks for Stargazing in 2025

Several major travel outlets, including Skyscanner, Forbes, and Condé Nast, have identified astro‑tourism as a standout trend for 2025, thanks in part to the solar maximum cycle bringing more auroras and eclipses than usual.

Yet for most Americans, seeing the Milky Way is a rare treat. About 80 percent of the population can no longer view it from their homes because of widespread light pollution. Even more startling, over 99 percent of U.S. residents live under skies impacted by artificial light—effectively erasing the natural night sky.

If you’re longing for a genuine view of the cosmos, you’ll have to leave the city glow behind and head to one of our stunning national parks, which are becoming the last true clear‑dark‑sky sanctuaries.

But which of America's National Parks is the best for stargazing? To find the answer we looked at five different data points: number of stargazing events, how light-polluted a park is, what’s the park’s dark-sky status, what’s the maximum elevation within the park, and how many campgrounds are available for park visitors. 

Let’s look at the results! 

Key Findings

• Great Basin National Park (Nevada) ranks as the best national park in the U.S. for stargazing.
• Death Valley, Zion, Big Bend, and Capitol Reef complete the top five stargazing destinations.
• Zion National Park hosts the highest number of night sky programs and events.
• Denali National Park & Preserve features the highest peak of all national parks, offering clear, high-elevation views.
• Isle Royale National Park has the most developed campgrounds among top stargazing parks.
• 17 national parks offer fully dark skies with minimal light pollution.
• 17 national parks are certified as Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA).

America’s Top 5 National Parks for Stargazing

1. Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National Park is the best national park for stargazing. If you’ve never been there, it can feel like stepping off the grid and into the cosmos. Tucked into a quiet corner of Nevada,  this IDA (Certified Dark-Sky Park) park is one of the few places in the country where the night sky still looks like it did a thousand years ago. The skies here are rated a perfect Bortle 1 meaning they’re about as dark as you can get, and the park leans into that with 53 stargazing events a year. From the slopes of Wheeler Peak at over 13,000 feet, it’s easy to feel like you’re floating between worlds.

2. Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park takes second place even though it also offers Bortle 1 skies and is Certified Dark-Sky Park. It takes a more self-guided approach, which is why it lost a few points. There are no formal stargazing events here, just 12 developed campgrounds and miles of wide-open desert to claim as your own. It’s one of the most accessible places in the country to experience a truly dark night sky. The park’s highest peak rises to 11,049 feet, but you won’t need elevation to feel small out here. The stars will take care of that.

3. Zion National Park

Zion National Park ranks as the third best despite it being one of the most active places in the country when it comes to stargazing. It hosts 59 night sky events between July and December, which is more than any other national park. The skies here earn a Bortle 2 rating, meaning they’re not the darkest, but still impressively clear once the sun sets behind the cliffs. With its Certified Dark-Sky Park status, three developed campgrounds, and sandstone peaks that top out at 8,726 feet, Zion makes it easy to enjoy the night sky without wandering too far off the map.

4. Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park, our fourth best national park for stargazing, doesn’t host events either, and honestly, it doesn’t need to. The park is vast, quiet, and drenched in darkness (Bortle 1 again). With just three campgrounds and a whole lot of Texas emptiness, it’s the kind of place where you can sit in silence for hours, letting the stars do all the work. The Milky Way here feels close enough to touch.

5. Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park ranks fifth with no events, few crowds, just two campgrounds and another Bortle 1-certified sky. The high desert landscape, all twisted rock and hidden canyons, holds onto the night like a secret. Nothing too flashy, but very photogenic.

National Parks with Outstanding Stargazing Programs

Some parks leave you alone with the stars, while others plan the night for you. These are the ones that do the latter, offering structured stargazing programs, telescope sessions, and seasonal astronomy festivals. We looked at scheduled events for mid-2025 to find which parks go beyond just being dark.

1. Zion National Park (59 Events)

Zion leads the country in night sky programming. From July through September, the park runs weekly stargazing sessions with rangers. Most start around 9 p.m. and include constellation talks, telescope viewing, and sky navigation basics. Summer skies here are clear and dry, ideal for beginners. Events are open to all and fill up fast, especially on weekends.

2. Great Basin National Park (53 events)

Great Basin keeps it steady. Stargazing programs run three nights a week through summer. The main draw is the annual Astronomy Festival in mid-September, timed for a new moon. Expect lectures, night hikes, telescope viewings, and solar scopes during the day. Everything happens under a Bortle 1 sky. Bring layers. It gets cold fast after sunset.

3. Olympic National Park (52 events)

Olympic runs a broad mix of astronomy nights throughout the summer. Some are simple constellation tours. Others tie into meteor showers or include telescope setups at low elevation coastal points. The schedule varies by location and weather, so check before you go. Programs often include a dose of natural history alongside science.

For more information about celestial events in these and other national parks, check out NPS’s night sky event calendar.

National Parks with the Clearest Certified Night Skies

Seventeen national parks have earned International Dark Sky Park certification from DarkSky International, and some of them also register a Bortle 1 rating, meaning minimal to no light pollution. Parks that meet both criteria (IDA certification and top-tier sky quality) are:

• Great Basin, 
• Death Valley, 
• Big Bend, and 
• Capitol Reef.

Seventeen national parks, while lacking the IDA certification, do have Bortle 1 rating, and should be considered a go-to places for stargazing. The best national parks that have low light pollution, but aren’t certified, are:

• Denali National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Wrangell-St.Elias National Park & Preserve
• Glacier Bay National Park

This IDA certification isn’t granted lightly. Parks must measure sky brightness across seasons, meet lighting standards, and they need to apply policies to cut light pollution, and programs that educate visitors about listening to the night. It’s a year-long process that takes effort, and thanks to our National Park Service we get to enjoy stargazing in most of the national parks.

National Parks with Ideal Stargazing Conditions

Dark skies matter, but they’re not the whole story. Altitude helps. A lot. And so do well-placed campgrounds. You want to be high enough to escape the above-mentioned, ever present light pollution, and close enough to your tent that you don’t need to hike back with a headlamp.

High Elevation

If you’re chasing thinner air and clearer skies, start with elevation. The higher you go, the less atmosphere there is to scatter light and moisture. That means sharper stars, brighter planets, and a better shot at seeing the Milky Way in full detail. National parks with serious elevation often deliver better night skies because there you’re closer to the edge of space.

National Park Champions in the High Elevation category are:

1. Denali National Park & Preserve

Alaska’s heavyweight. Denali rises to 20,310 feet, and while you’re not stargazing from the summit, the elevation across the park gives you thinner air and low moisture. That means less atmosphere between you and the stars. The wide tundra and long summer twilights create ideal conditions for deep sky viewing, especially late in the season.

2. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve

This one barely makes the news, but it should. It’s the largest national park in the U.S., and home to Mount Saint Elias, which hits 18,008 feet. Remote, wild, and barely touched by development, the park offers serious isolation for anyone willing to travel off-grid. Just like Denali: no cities nearby means no light spill. The skies here stay dark for real.

3. Glacier Bay National Park

Another Alaska entry, Glacier Bay is more known for ice than sky, but it earns its place. With Mount Fairweather topping 15,300 feet, the park’s high terrain and open water views let you take in the stars with minimal obstruction. On clear nights, the reflection off the bay makes it feel like you’re floating between two skies.

Campground Access

Some national parks are just easier to stay in. More campgrounds means more chances to find a spot, more freedom to pick your vantage point, and a better shot at stargazing without having to drive or hike back in the dark. You want to roll out of your tent, look up, and see the sky doing its thing.

These National Parks have the infrastructure to help you make the most of them:

1. Isle Royale National Park

Far out in Lake Superior, Isle Royale has 36 developed campgrounds, more than any other national park on this list. It’s only accessible by boat or seaplane, and the isolation pays off. No cars, no roads, just quiet shoreline and unobstructed skies. Bring a tent and let the lake do the rest.

2. Sequoia National Park

Famous for its trees, but worth visiting at night. With 14 campgrounds and high-elevation terrain, Sequoia gives you dry air, cool nights, and huge horizons between the giant trunks. Head up toward the Mineral King area for cleaner views and fewer crowds.

3. Olympic National Park

Olympic splits its time between mountains, forest, and coastline, and has 14 developed campgrounds to get you near all three. You can stargaze from the beaches or head into the alpine zones for elevation. Either way, the mix of ecosystems and camp access makes it one of the more versatile stargazing parks in the country.

Planning Your Stargazing Trip

Suit up smart and plan ahead. Stargazing trips often mean cold nights, rough terrain, and hours spent outdoors after sunset. The right gear can make the difference between “whoa, amazing” and 

Tips for Stargazing in the Outdoors

You want clear skies, clear nights, and comfort. Start with these essentials.

• First, check the moon and the forecast. Aim for a new‑moon window and cloud cover under 40 percent because that’s when the real sky show happens 
• Layer smart. Temperatures often drop 15–20 °F after sundown, even in summer. You’ll want wicking base layers, a fleece or softshell, gloves, and a hat.
• Red light only. Use a headlamp or flashlight with a red filter to preserve night vision.
• Bring snacks, hydration, and a chair. Thermos, protein bars, camp chair, you’ll stay longer and enjoy more.
• Apps and binoculars over telescopes. Start simple: a pair of 7×50 binoculars gets you the rings of Saturn. Use apps (e.g., SkySafari, Stellarium) to drop constellation names into your night.
• Be safe. Watch your step. Avoid animal encounters. Follow Leave No Trace. Preserve wild places and your own footing.

KÜHL Gear Picks 

Stargazing starts with being dressed right. KÜHL clothing brings 5-star designs (pun intended) that are durable, comfortable, and will keep you warm when watching the Milky Way. 

• Engineered™ Hoody or Polo blends with wicking, odor-resistant polyester mesh that’s ideal when a softshell is too much. 
• Resistor™ Lite Jean offers comfort, durability, and warmth. Great for campsite downtime, long hikes, and sudden temperature shifts.

Pack both. Layer the hoody under a shell and use the jeans as your go‑to bottoms. No awkward seams or noise, and they stand up to rocky terrain and chill nights.

Methodology

To identify and rank the best U.S. national parks for stargazing, we evaluated each park across five key metrics that contribute to an exceptional night sky experience:

1. Stargazing Events: The number of astronomy-focused programs hosted July-December 2025, such as ranger talks, telescope viewings, and night hikes, based on data from the National Park Service’s night sky events calendar (nps.gov).
2. Sky Darkness: Measured using the Bortle Scale, which rates night sky darkness from 1 (best, darkest) to 9 (worst, most light-polluted), sourced from light pollution maps (lightpollutionmap.info).
3. Certified Dark-Sky Park Status: Whether the park holds official certification from the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), recognizing its efforts to preserve natural darkness and host night sky programs (sources: npca.org, nps.gov).
4. Highest Elevation: The maximum elevation (in feet) within the park, as higher altitudes often provide clearer, less obstructed skies. Elevation data was gathered from Wikipedia and official park resources.
5. Developed Campgrounds: The number of well-equipped campgrounds available for visitors, facilitating overnight stays, based on National Park Service campground listings.

To ensure fair comparison across metrics with different units and scales, we standardized all values. Each metric was then assigned a weight reflecting its importance to the overall stargazing experience:

• Sky Darkness (Bortle Rating): 35%
• Certified Dark-Sky Park Status: 20%
• Stargazing Events: 15%
• Highest Elevation: 15%
• Developed Campgrounds: 15%

Finally, we combined the weighted scores to calculate an overall ranking for each national park. 

National Park	State	Stargazing Rank	Stargazing Score Out of 100	Stargazing Events	Sky Darkness Score (1-best, 9-worst)	Certified Dark-Sky Parks	Developed Campgrounds	Highest Elevation (ft)
Great Basin National Park	Nevada	1	88	53	1	Yes	2	13,065
Death Valley National Park	California, Nevada	2	77	0	1	Yes	12	11,049
Zion National Park	Utah	3	76	59	2	Yes	3	8,726
Big Bend National Park	Texas	4	69	0	1	Yes	3	7,825
Capitol Reef National Park	Utah	5	69	0	1	Yes	2	8,960
Grand Canyon National Park	Arizona	6	68	6	2	Yes	3	9,165
Glacier National Park	Montana	7	68	0	2	Yes	13	10,466
Great Sand Dunes National Park	Colorado	8	67	2	2	Yes	1	13,610
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park	Colorado	9	61	0	2	Yes	3	9,040
Olympic National Park	Washington	10	60	52	2	No	14	7,962
Bryce Canyon National Park	Utah	11	60	0	2	Yes	2	9,115
Denali National Park & Preserve	Alaska	12	58	0	1	No	6	20,310
Canyonlands National Park	Utah	13	58	0	2	Yes	2	7,120
Mesa Verde National Park	Colorado	14	58	0	2	Yes	1	8,571
Yellowstone National Park	Wyoming, Montana, Idaho	15	57	0	1	No	12	11,358
Wrangell-St.Elias National Park & Preserve	Alaska	16	56	0	1	No	3	18,008
Arches National Park	Utah	17	55	0	2	Yes	1	5,653
Voyageurs National Park	Minnesota	18	54	0	2	Yes	4	1,340
Glacier Bay National Park	Alaska	19	53	0	1	No	1	15,300
Joshua Tree National Park	California	20	53	0	3	Yes	9	5,813
Petrified Forest National Park	Arizona	21	52	0	2	Yes	0	6,234
Sequoia National Park	California	22	52	0	2	No	14	14,505
Yosemite National Park	California	23	51	0	2	No	13	13,114
Kings Canyon National Park	California	24	49	0	2	No	7	14,242
Crater Lake National Park	Oregon	25	49	0	1	No	2	8,929
Lake Clark National Park	Alaska	26	48	0	1	No	1	10,197
Grand Teton National Park	Wyoming	27	48	0	2	No	6	13,770
Mount Rainier National Park	Washington	28	48	16	3	No	3	14,411
Rocky Mountain National Park	Colorado	29	46	6	3	No	5	14,259
Lassen Volcanic National Park	California	30	46	0	2	No	8	10,457
Katmai National Park & Preserve	Alaska	31	46	0	1	No	1	7,606
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park	Hawaii	32	45	0	2	No	2	13,679
Kenai Fjords National Park	Alaska	33	45	0	1	No	1	6,450
Gates of the Arctic National Park	Alaska	34	44	0	1	No	0	8,510
North Cascades National Park	Washington	35	44	0	2	No	6	9,206
Isle Royale National Park	Michigan	36	42	0	2	No	36	1,394
Haleakalā National Park	Hawaii	37	41	0	2	No	2	10,023
Guadalupe Mountains National Park	Texas	38	41	0	2	No	3	8,749
Kobuk Valley National Park	Alaska	39	40	0	1	No	0	4,760
White Sands National Park	New Mexico	40	39	0	1	No	0	4,116
Mammoth Cave National Park	Kentucky	41	39	2	4	Yes	3	925
National Park of American Samoa	American Samoa	42	38	0	1	No	0	3,176
Dry Tortugas National Park	Florida	43	38	0	1	No	1	10
Acadia National Park	Maine	44	36	19	3	No	4	1,530
Redwood National and State Parks	California	45	36	0	2	No	4	3,209
Channel Islands National Park	California	46	36	0	2	No	5	2,429
Wind Cave National Park	South Dakota	47	34	0	2	No	1	5,013
Badlands National Park	South Dakota	48	34	0	2	No	2	3,247
New River Gorge National Park	West Virginia	49	30	0	3	No	8	3,291
Great Smoky Mountains National Park	North Carolina, Tennessee	50	29	2	4	No	10	6,643
Carlsbad Caverns National Park	New Mexico	51	29	3	3	No	0	6,535
Shenandoah National Park	Virginia	52	28	0	3	No	4	4,049
Saguaro National Park	Arizona	53	25	0	4	No	6	8,666
Theodore Roosevelt National Park	North Dakota	54	25	0	3	No	2	2,864
Pinnacles National Park	California	55	23	0	3	No	1	3,304
Everglades National Park	Florida	56	22	0	3	No	2	8
Congaree National Park	South Carolina	57	13	0	4	No	2	140
Virgin Islands National Park	U.S. Virgin Islands	58	12	0	4	No	1	1,277
Biscayne National Park	Florida	59	11	0	4	No	1	10
Indiana Dunes National Park	Indiana	60	7	2	5	No	1	192
Hot Springs National Park	Arkansas	61	4	0	5	No	1	1,405
Cuyahoga Valley National Park	Ohio	62	1	0	5	No	0	1,164
Gateway Arch National Park	Missouri	63	1	0	9	No	0	630

Conclusion

There’s something unfair about needing to start your car or RV to go see the stars. We shouldn't have to drive hundreds of miles just to experience what should be ordinary. But that’s where we are. The modern sky is a citylight canopy, dimmed by parking lots and porch lights, and most people have rarely seen it unfiltered. 

And yet, it’s still there, hidden somewhere high, far from home, where you can just step out into a clearing, let your eyes adjust, and feel that old, unsettling clarity that humans once felt all the time. 

That’s the real reason to go. Not for the perfect Instagram or ranger program, but those do help. It’s to face the fact that we’re small, that the universe is very much in motion, and that above us is something wondrous.  

And if you sit with it long enough, you might realize what you really need is just more time outdoors. And maybe one more warm layer.

Written by Ivan Slovic.
Research done by Andreea Anton-Rascu.
Photo by Ryan Rivera.