Stargazing

Eighty percent of Americans live in an area where they cannot see the Milky Way due to the light pollution of the cities. That is not an issue when stargazing in Utah. There's a certified International Dark Sky Park nearby to reconnect you with our ancestral knowledge and finely tuned instincts. Except this presents a welcome challenge: do we go to bed early to ensure ample energy for tomorrow's adventures, or stay up late for a chance to peer into light tens of thousands of years old, yet part of the same Universal sea of energy?

Utah has more than a dozen places awarded an IDA-certified designation, including national parks and state parks. Find a certified dark sky viewing location in Utah.

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Reclaiming the Stars

by Austen Diamond

The state of Utah is currently guiding 12 state parks through an application and accreditation process to become certified International Dark Sky Parks — that’s more than a fourth of Utah’s 43 state parks. It’s a testament that Utah’s state parks are reclaiming the stars for its residents and visitors.

Capturing the Milky Way: Kodachrome Basin by Night

by Visit Utah

Head out on a night sky photo shoot with amateur photographer Prajit Ravindran and see why Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park deserves the Kodak film-inspired title.

Where to See the Milky Way This Year

by Whitney Childers

A quick drive from Salt Lake City to Antelope Island to a multi-day excursion deep in Monument Valley, numerous options await stargazers seeking to view the Milky Way of Utah’s pristine and beautiful dark skies.

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Red Rock & Dark Skies: Stargazing the National Parks 4 Days

Do everything you’d normally do on a National Park road trip, but when the stars come out, so do you. Red rock by day and serene dark skies by night, this stargazing trip includes nighttime splendor at certified International Dark Sky Parks.

HIGHLIGHTS

Stargazing in International Dark Sky Parks
Bryce Canyon National Park
Cedar Breaks National Monument
All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12