The single biggest upgrade to any night of stargazing is a darker sky. DarkSky International certifies parks, sanctuaries, reserves, and communities that protect their night skies, and the United States has more of them than any other country. Enter your zip code below to find the certified dark sky sites closest to you, or explore the map and state list. Data is sourced from the official DarkSky International directory and refreshed as new places are certified.
Find the closest dark sky sites to you
Map shows all DarkSky International certified places in the continental US. Click any pin for details. Certification data from DarkSky International.
What the certifications mean
Dark Sky Parks are protected public lands with exceptional starry nights. Sanctuaries are the most remote and darkest places of all. Reserves are large regions with a dark core zone. Communities are towns that legally protect their night sky through lighting ordinances, and Urban Night Sky Places are darker oases near cities, perfect for a quick trip.
How dark is your sky? The Bortle scale
Astronomers rate sky darkness from Bortle 1 (pristine, the Milky Way casts shadows) to Bortle 9 (inner city, only the Moon and planets survive). Most suburbs sit at Bortle 6 to 7, where the Moon, planets, and bright star clusters still look great through a telescope. At a Bortle 3 to 4 site, an hour's drive for many people, galaxies and nebulae come alive. Certified dark sky sites are typically Bortle 1 to 3, and the difference the first time you see the Milky Way from one is unforgettable.
Make the trip worth it
Check the Moon phase before you go: the week around new Moon is best for deep-sky objects. Arrive before dark to set up, give your eyes 30 minutes to adapt, and use a red flashlight to protect your night vision. A wide-angle eyepiece from our eyepiece collection makes dark-sky views dramatically more immersive, and if you are still choosing your first scope, our telescope finder and buyer's guide will point you in the right direction. Every telescope in our collection ships free in the US with 30-day returns.