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.

AZ night sky light pollution map