10 Best Campgrounds for Night Sky Viewing
Anywhere you can get away from city lights or the lights of your campground neighbors will provide you with a good night sky view. However, some places are considered best for seeing the stars without light pollution.
Nearly 200 International Dark Sky Places around the globe are committed to stewardship of the night sky to allow the best views of the stars.
Where Can I Find Dark Sky Place?
Of course, dark sky places are away from city lights. They are where you want to be in your RV—off the beaten path. Some of these parks even have astronomy programs, so be sure to ask when you make your reservation.
For more than 30 years, the International Dark Sky Association has advocated reducing and eliminating light pollution, helping preserve dark skies in 51 countries. Check out the International Dark Sky Association website for all the places to get a dark sky experience.
There are some 85 certified Dark Sky Places in the United States. The association has strict standards of lighting, education, awareness, and protection of dark skies.
Best Dark Sky Campgrounds for RVers
Joshua Tree National Park, located in Twentynine Palms, California, encompasses the Colorado and Mohave Deserts and is named for its unusually shaped trees. Mormons supposedly named these trees after the biblical man Joshua. They saw the limbs of the trees as outstretched arms guiding the travelers westward.
If you stargaze at Joshua Tree, bring a red light, dress appropriately for cooler weather, and avoid a full moon for the best chance to stargaze.
There are campgrounds for RVs at Joshua Tree. White Tank and Hidden Valley campgrounds have an RV length limit of 25 feet. Belle Campground can accommodate up to 35 feet.
Big Bend National Park, in Big Bend, Texas, is known to have the darkest skies in Texas and has the least light pollution of any National Park in the lower 48. It has been an International Dark Sky Park since 2012 and has Gold Tier status. The area with protected dark skies comprises some 1 million acres.
Don’t miss out on some of the year-long schedules of astronomy interpretive stargazing programs, star parties, and moonlight walks. Click here to check out the sky quality on a day-by-day basis.
Check out RV camping opportunities at Big Bend National Park for any length restrictions.
In Moab, Utah, this spectacular park has over 2,000 natural stone arches and is a great place to park your RV for some incredible stargazing. The park is pretty busy, but if you can’t find a campground inside, plenty of beautiful RV parks are nearby.
While you are guaranteed to see stars just about anywhere in the park on a clear night, here are some of the best places. Try stargazing at the Balanced Rock Picnic Area, The Windows Section, Garden of Eden Viewpoint, or Panorama Point. The farther north you drive away from the lights of Moab, the darker the sky will be.
Sometimes Rangers will lead stargazing programs and events at parks throughout southeast Utah.
This iconic National park has spectacular daytime views but don’t forget to look up and take in the night views. The park has several campgrounds that will accommodate your RV. Popular stargazing vantage points include Desert View, Moran and Lipan points on the South Rim and Bright Angel Point, and Cape Royal on the North Rim.
Don’t miss the Grand Canyon Star Party. It’s held yearly and includes a nightly program with telescope viewing behind the Visitor’s Center. Park rangers also offer constellation tours. Amateur astronomers volunteer their expertise and assist with nightly programs and telescope viewing.
Antelope Island State Park
Located in Great Salt Lake, Utah, this park features abundant wildlife, fantastic scenery, and excellent stargazing. Be sure to view from the west-facing shore to view plenty of stars, planets, and galaxies.
Ranger-recommended stargazing locations include White Rock Bay and Bridger Bay Beach. If you want a short hike to your starry destination, check out Ladyfinger Point, which is a .25-mile trek that is smooth and slightly rocky terrain. Buffalo Point is a .5-mile easy climb to a spectacular sky view.
Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park
Cherry Springs State Park, located in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, proves that a great dark sky park doesn’t have to be in the western part of the United States. This 80-acre park in the Susquehannock State Forest is a prime location for stargazers and even professional astronomers.
The park boasts an overnight Astronomy Viewing Field at the top of a 2,300-foot-high mountain. With the surrounding state forest relatively undeveloped and nearby communities in the valley, the area is perfect for seeing vistas of shining stars, planets, and constellations. A 360-degree view of the night sky features excellent views of the Milky Way.
The park welcomes RVs but has mostly primitive campgrounds. Pets are not permitted in the park.
Located along the James River in Gladstone, Virginia, this is one of five Dark Sky parks in the state. The designations are thanks to an ambitious high school student, Lora Callahan, and her goal to earn a Girl Scout Gold Award.
A group of astronomers gathers yearly, bringing their telescopes and providing visitors with an up-close view of planets and galaxies. You can also bring your telescope to explore and have the experts guide you.
The 1,561-acre park is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and features rolling grasslands, quiet forests, and beautiful views along the three miles of shoreline. You can hike, bike, canoe, kayak, or fish on the banks of the river. There are water/electric campgrounds, equestrian camping, and tent camping.
8. Stephen C. Foster State Park
Located along the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Fargo, Georgia, you will find plenty of dark skies at this small park.
The park offers several astronomy events, including the “Swampers Guide to The Galaxy” events showcasing annual meteor showers.
The park offers a lodge, cottages, tent sites, and RV sites with 30 and 50-amp electrical hookups.
Enjoy daily boat tours, hiking, biking, paddling, and field trips, or take in a nearby attraction.
9. Big Cypress National Preserve
This park encompasses over 720,000 acres in East Ochopee, Florida, west of Miami. The preserve has some of the darkest night skies in the Eastern US. Take advantage of ranger-led astronomy programs and stargazing events throughout the year.
Big Cypress has several campgrounds that will accommodate RVs. Only one, Midway Campground, has full hookups.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
10. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and World Heritage Site straddle the northern Rocky Mountains in Montana and into Canada. You can view snowcapped mountains, high-altitude lakes, and rivers cascading from glaciers there. You can enjoy the views after dark with many nighttime activities, including nightly astronomy programs.
At the St. Mary Visitor Center, the park service maintains the Dusty Star Observatory for use by astronomers and to host visitor stargazing programs. On the Canadian side, Waterton Lakes National Park provides stargazing at Cameron Bay, along the Red Rock Parkway, and at the Bison Paddock Overlook.
The Waterton National Park Service also presents a weekly “Dark Sky Sights” program at the Visitor Center.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park campers can choose from 16 campgrounds with nearly 1,500 campsites. Most are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. Fish Creek, St. Mary, and Waterton Townsite campgrounds can be reserved in advance.
Stargazing Apps and Charts for Viewing the Night Sky
Check out these stargazing apps and charts so you can relax, enjoy the night sky and know what you are observing.
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About the Author: Terri Nighswonger and her husband, Todd, are well-traveled RVers and work campers. They've work camped from Maine to Arizona with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Newton, and their Minnie Australian Shepherd, Remi.
They love Arizona, where winter coats are a thing of the past. They plan to enjoy the west for a while. Writing is Terri's passion, but she also loves hiking, kayaking, walking her dogs, and anything she can do outdoors.