Dark sites
Curated dark sites worldwide.
Bortle class, drive-time hints, and field notes from astrophotographers who've been.
34 sites across 13 countries.
Australia
Canada
Chile
France
Germany
India
Hanle
Bortle 1Ladakh
India’s first Dark Sky Reserve; IAO observatory.
No reviews yet
Spiti Valley
Bortle 2Himachal Pradesh
Cold high-desert above 12,000 ft.
No reviews yet
Tso Moriri
Bortle 1Ladakh
High-altitude lake, ~100 km from any settlement.
No reviews yet
Nubra Valley
Bortle 2Ladakh
North of Khardung La — dunes and dark skies.
No reviews yet
Munsiyari
Bortle 2Uttarakhand
Himalayan foothills facing Panchachuli.
No reviews yet
Mukteshwar
Bortle 3Uttarakhand
Quiet hill station, 7,500 ft.
No reviews yet
Coorg
Bortle 4Karnataka
Hill stations in coffee country.
No reviews yet
Sariska
Bortle 3Rajasthan
Tiger reserve a drive from Delhi/Jaipur.
No reviews yet
Pench
Bortle 3Madhya Pradesh
Central Indian forests, low haze in winter.
No reviews yet
Vagamon
Bortle 4Kerala
Open meadows in the Western Ghats.
No reviews yet
Mahabaleshwar
Bortle 4Maharashtra
Highest point of the Sahyadri range.
No reviews yet
Leh
Bortle 4Ladakh
Town is Bortle 4–5; dark within 30 km.
No reviews yet
Ireland
Namibia
New Zealand
Portugal
Spain
United Kingdom
United States
Cherry Springs State Park
Bortle 2Pennsylvania
IDA Gold-tier reserve, eastern USA’s best dark sky.
No reviews yet
Death Valley NP
Bortle 2California
IDA Gold-tier park, vast horizon and dry air.
No reviews yet
Bryce Canyon NP
Bortle 2Utah
8,000 ft, dry, regular ranger star programmes.
No reviews yet
Big Bend NP
Bortle 1Texas
Darkest sky in continental USA.
No reviews yet
Mauna Kea
Bortle 1Hawaii
13,800 ft summit; world-class astronomy site.
No reviews yet
Arches NP
Bortle 2Utah
High desert, foreground arches for astro shots.
No reviews yet
Natural Bridges NM
Bortle 1Utah
First IDA International Dark Sky Park (2007).
No reviews yet
Mt Evans
Bortle 2Colorado
Drivable 14,000 ft summit near Denver.
No reviews yet
Joshua Tree NP
Bortle 3California
Near LA but surprisingly dark in the eastern half.
No reviews yet