Dark Sky Parks in UT

List of darkest places in Utah 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
Anasazi State Park Museum		1
Antelope Island SP	park	2
Arches NP	park	2
Bear Lake SP		2
Bryce Canyon NP	park	2
Canyonlands NP	park	1
Capitol Reef NP	park	1
Cedar Breaks NM	park	2
Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP		2
Dead Horse Point SP	park
East Canyon SP	park	2
Fremont Indian SP	park
Goblin Valley SP	park	1
Goosenecks SP	park	1
Green River SP		2
Hovenweep NM	park	2
Jordanelle SP	park	2
Kodachrome Basin SP	park	2
Monte Cristo
Natural Bridges NM	park	2
North Fork SP	park	2
Otter Creek Reservoir		1
Piute SP		2
Rainbow Bridge NM	sanctuary	2
Rockport SP	park	2
Steinaker SP	park	2
Timpangogos NM	UNSP
Wedge Overlook
Wolf Creek Pass
Yuba SP		2
Zion NP

NP = national park | SP = state park | NF = national forest | SF = state forest | NWR = national wildlife reserve | SRA = state recreational area

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Light Pollution Map w/ Bortle

On the left is a 2019 satellite image of UT 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.