Buzz
National parks offer much more than scenic trails and diverse wildlife—they're also perfect for stargazing.
Researchers from Lake.com, a vacation rental platform, analyzed data from the National Park Service’s Night Sky Data Collection Sites to pinpoint the best stargazing spots. They ranked each park on a 100-point scale, considering factors such as the percentage of stars visible and the level of light pollution.
Utah leads the way with the most national parks for stargazing, featuring an impressive four parks. Other states like California, Arizona, and Montana each have two parks on the list. Arizona, renowned for its numerous dark sky reserves, is especially noted for its pristine night skies, thanks to a program that protects those views.
Oregon's Crater Lake National Park is a stargazer’s paradise, scoring a perfect 100 out of 100 on the index. Home to the iconic Crater Lake—the deepest and one of the clearest, bluest lakes in the world—it also features Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone. On average, 98.6% of stars are visible across four data collection sites, with a remarkably low light pollution ratio of just 0.03.
Great Basin National Park in Nevada takes second place with an impressive score of 88.58. The park offers 97.8% star visibility on average, along with a light pollution ratio of 0.04. Visitors can explore its stunning natural features, including rock formations, caves, and ancient bristlecone pine groves.
With an index of 88.52, Canyonlands National Park in Utah is another excellent stargazing destination. This expansive 337,598-acre desert landscape features canyons, mesas, buttes, arches, and spires. According to Lake.com, 98.3% of stars are visible, and the light pollution ratio is 0.04.
Check out the rankings of these national parks below:
Rank | National Park | Location | Index Score out of 100 |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Crater Lake National Park | Oregon | 100 |
2 | Great Basin National Park | Nevada | 88.58 |
3 | Canyonlands National Park | Utah | 88.52 |
4 | Grand Canyon National Park | Arizona | 84.72 |
5 | Capitol Reef National Park | Utah | 76.32 |
6 | Bryce Canyon National Park | Utah | 74.81 |
7 | Grand Teton National Park | Wyoming | 72.04 |
8 | Haleakalā National Park | Hawaii | 72.01 |
9 | Arches National Park | Utah | 71.40 |
10 | Lassen Volcanic National Park | California | 69.58 |
11 | Glacier National Park | Montana | 69.54 |
12 | Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming, Montana, Idaho | 68.96 |
13 | Great Sand Dunes National Park | Colorado | 68.62 |
14 | Isle Royale National Park | Michigan | 68.31 |
15 | Big Bend National Park | Texas | 66.51 |
16 | Petrified Forest National Park | Arizona | 60 |
17 | Death Valley National Park | California, Nevada | 59.97 |
18 | National Park of American Samoa | American Samoa | 58.74 |
19 | Lake Clark National Park | Alaska | 58.69 |
20 | Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | Hawaii | 58.15 |
