The 20 Best National Parks for Stargazing

National parks have much to offer, from scenic hikes to impressive biodiversity. They can also be incredible places to enjoy the night sky.

Researchers from the vacation rental website Lake.com viewed data from the National Park Service’s Night Sky Data Collection Sites to determine which places are best for stargazing. After analyzing the data, they ranked each national park on a 100-point scale based on the average percentage of stars visible and average median light pollution.

Utah is the top state when it comes to having the best national parks for stargazing, boasting an impressive four. Many other states—like California, Arizona, and Montana—have two parks on the list. It’s no surprise that Arizona ranks highly on the list, as the state has many dark sky reserves; those areas are protected by a program that preserves night sky views.

Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park is ideal for stargazers, with a perfect index score of 100 out of 100. It’s home to the titular Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the U.S. and one of the clearest, bluest lakes in the world. Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone in Crater Lake, is also one of the main features of the national park. Most importantly, 98.6 percent of stars are visible on average across four data collection sites, and the average light pollution ratio is just 0.03.

The second spot on the list goes to the Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The area boasts an index of 88.58, with 97.8 percent star visibility on average and an average light pollution ratio of 0.04. The natural features of the Great Basin National Park are endless. Visitors can see rock formations, caves, bristlecone pine groves, and more at this destination.

With an index of 88.52, Canyonlands National Park in Utah is also a solid choice for stargazers. The park’s 337,598 acres of desert land vastly differs from the previous entries. Guests can enjoy canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches, and spires as they cruise through the scenic landscapes. Lake.com reports that 98.3 percent of stars are visible on average, and there’s an average light pollution ratio of 0.04.

You can find the rankings of the 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

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