Dark Sky Places in WI

List of darkest places in Wisconsin for stargazing, astrophotography, astrotourism, star parties, and astronomy club events. Often these are national and state parks and forests that are either remote or "protected" against light pollution.

National and state parks often let you stay overnight under the stars, hence their motto - "Half the park is after dark".

Bortle scale for sites is given where known. Also ask your local astronomy club for guidance as they will know the darkest places.

NAME BORTLE
Beaver Creek Reserve
Big Bay State Park 2
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest 2
Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area 3
Copper Falls State Park 3
Devil's Lake State Park
Governor Thompson State Park 3
Newport State Park 2
Rock Island State Park 2
Whitefish Dunes State Park 3
Wildcat Mountain State Park 3
Yellowstone Lake State Park 3


Light Pollution Map w/ Bortle

On the left is a 2019 satellite image of WI 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.

WI night sky light pollution map