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
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.
