The 20 Best Stargazing Spots in America

Amateur astronomy might be the ultimate antidote to the cabin fever so many of us have felt this year. Heading outside for a glimpse of the night sky is a timely reminder of nature's beauty and the incredible universe we occupy.

America’s national parks are ideal destinations for stargazers, since they lack the light pollution that obscures celestial bodies in heavily populated areas. The star-mapping company Under Lucky Stars set out to determine which of the 62 parks are the very best places to pick out constellations (based on annual visitors, how accessible they are by car and the visibility of their skies), and the guide they created with that data will help you chart your way to an unforgettable night. The exclusive top 20 countdown list they shared with HGTV, in turn, starts right now.

People have lived and gathered at this spectacular spot in southern Alaska for nearly 9,000 years, but it’s easy to feel like you have it to yourself, as fewer than 85,000 visitors head to Katmai National Park & Preserve every year. There’s no artificial light there whatsoever — and if you visit in the winter and conditions are just right, you might even see the aurora borealis undulating above the mountains from the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

Before the sun goes down, hikers at Pinnacles National Park (east of the Salinas Valley, a 90-minute drive south of San Jose) are often treated to the sight of the California condor and its mind-boggling, nine-and-a-half-foot wingspan. After dark, campers enjoy dazzling views (and can take excellent photos) of the Milky Way in the darkness above the mountains — a rarity in California, where urban illumination can feel ubiquitous.