Enjoy the night sky at 3 stargazing destinations

Introduce your family to the spectacular night sky at these three places.

Death Valley National Park, California: The park’s 3.4 million-acre expanse and the region’s clean, dry air provide an ideal vantage point for observing shooting stars, meteor showers and constellations galore. The area shares a strong commitment to avoid light pollution and keep the night sky visible. Stay at The Ranch or The Inn at Death Valley and join the Las Vegas Astronomical Society for Star Parties on selected evenings. During the winter months, the National Park Service offers Ranger programs that provide an introduction to the cosmos. Visit during the new moon phase (when the moon is not visible) to see the most stars.

Colorado: Colorado is home to eight International Dark Sky Parks and five International Dark Sky Communities. Check out Colorado’s self-guided stargazing tour to craft your own curated, celestial tour. Consider Westcliffe and Silver Cliff in the state’s Wet Mountain Valley. The valley sits between two mountain ranges, providing dramatic views in every direction. Don’t miss the Smokey Jack Observatory, which boasts a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope and 5-inch refractor telescopes to view the night sky. Ask about the free public star parties held throughout the year. New to Westcliffe’s Main Street is Planet Walk, an interpretive, self-guided walking adventure of a 4 billionto-one scale model of the entire solar system.

Natural Bridges National

Home to Monument, Utah: some of the darkest skies in the country, massive natural bridges form star-filled windows through which you can observe the skies as the Pueblo people did some 800 years ago. Among the most spectacular sights is the river of Milky Way brilliance observed rising over Owachomo Bridge.

DREAMSTIME Death Valley National Park in California is an ideal place to observe some of the best views of the night sky.