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 the highest concentration of International Dark-Sky Association-certified locations, including communities, parks and protected areas.

Find a certified dark sky viewing location in Utah Planetariums and Astronomy

Go with a Guide

Park Programs and Events

Arches, Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point
During the spring and fall, rangers from Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park's Island in the Sky district and Dead Horse Point State Park team up for ranger-led night sky events. Programs rotate among the three parks and usually occur around the new moon.

Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon offers year-round, ranger-led programs and an annual Astronomy Festival in June. Some popular programs (winter snowshoe hikes and full moon hikes) require advance sign-up or are subject to a lottery.

Capitol Reef National Park
From late June to October, Capitol Reef offers night sky tours, full moon walks and its Annual Heritage Starfest event, featuring telescope viewing and guest speakers.

National Monuments
Rangers offer occasional stargazing programs at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Rainbow Bridge National Monument and Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Check with the park's visitor center for upcoming programs.

Utah State Parks
Many Utah state parks have earned the International Dark Sky Park designation, including Dead Horse Point, Antelope Island, Kodachrome Basin and more. Visitors sticking around after dark can enjoy star parties, astronomy programs and ranger-led stargazing hikes.

Guides and Tours

Compass Rose Lodge
Featuring Huntsville Astronomic and Lunar Observatory
Huntsville, UT
(385) 279-4460

Dark Ranger Telescope Tours
Tropic, UT
(435) 590-9498

Moab Astronomy Tours
Moab, UT
(435) 260-0499

Moab RedRock Astronomy
Moab, UT
(435) 210-0066

Rocky Mountain Astronomy Tours
Mobile telescope observations in Northern Utah
Bountiful, UT
(801) 872-9913

Salt Lake Astronomical Society
Featuring Stansbury Park Observatory Complex
Salt Lake City, UT

Sleeping Rainbow Adventures
Torrey, UT
(435) 849-8692

Stargazing Zion
Springdale, UT 
(435) 272-8229

Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort
Zion National Park
(435) 648-2700

01

5 Days

Red Rock & Dark Skies: Stargazing the National Parks

This road trip through southwest Utah takes you to four of Utah’s best places to see the Milky Way — Capitol Reef National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Adventure, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Solitude, Stargazing

Highlights

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02

6 Days

Stars by the City

Fill your days with adventure and your nights with stargazing by following this six-day itinerary from Salt Lake City through the International Dark Sky Places in Northern Utah.

Arts, Hiking, Kid-Friendly, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Stargazing, Urban Experiences

Highlights

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03

7 Days

Hoodoos and Stars

Hoodoos and Stars takes advantage of the proximity of Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef national parks to slow down and also experience some of the must-see southwestern Utah landscapes and experiences along the way.

Camping & Backpacking, Hiking, Kid-Friendly, Scenic Drives/Road Trips, Stargazing

Highlights

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