Dark Sky Parks in AZ
List of darkest places in Arizona for stargazing, astrophotography, star parties, and club events. Often these are national and state parks and forests that are either remote or "protected" against light pollution.
National parks often let you stay overnight under the stars, hence their motto - "Half the park is after dark".
The IDA column indicates if a site is IDA-certified. Bortle scale for sites is given where known. Also use your local astronomy club for guidance as they will know the darkest places.
| NAME | IDA | BORTLE | Alamo Lake SP | 2 | Chiricahua NM | park | Flagstaff Area NM | park | 2 | Grand Canyon NP | park | 1 | Kartchner Caverns SP | park | 2 | Oracle SP | park | 2 | Petrified Forest NP | park | 2 | Pipe Spring NM | park | Saguaro NP | Sunset Crater Volcano NM | Tonto Monument NM | park | 2 | Tumacacori NP | park | 2 | Walnut Canyon NM | Wupatki NM |
NP = national park | SP = state park | NF = national forest | SF = state forest | NWR = national wildlife reserve | SRA = state recreational area
Light Pollution Map w/ Bortle
On the left is a 2019 satellite image of AZ showing light pollution from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. On the right is a 2015 light pollution map showing sky brightness at the zenith from World Atlas data. Colors correspond approximately to the Bortle scale. Use as a guide to find the darkest sky locations near you.
