Darkest sky Utah, Az, Nm???

Try walking thru the campground at the Jackson Rancheria RV Park, Jackson, California, almost any night. Amazing sight.

It is reported that only 1 in 5 persons in the entire world have seen the Milky Way. That, in itself, is truly remarkable. For the best viewing spot on any given day, click on the link below....Dennis

International Dark Sky Places

Arizona State Park

Depending on the time of year, I'd vote for Kodachrome Basin. Probably pretty hot in the summer, but not too bad the rest of the year -- it is almost 6000 feet in elevation. This was taken from our campsite last November -- we illuminated the spire with a flashlight during a time exposure:



There are almost no lights in the campground itself, except near the bathroom -- and the campground is so spacious that the light is not a problem. The entire area surrounding the park is pitch-dark. There are a few trees, but they are short and spread out.

If you want to get into the higher elevations to stay cool, Bryce or the North Rim would be good. The only problem in the high country would be the bigger trees, getting in the way of the view from the campsite.

Sloop Smitten wrote:
Grand Canyon, North Rim, 8,800' Elevation.

This is best, but there are many other good spots. Some places near the west end of the north rim are more than 100 miles from any semblance of civilization.

Valley of the Gods is a good choice. Also, nearby is Hovenweep National Monument and Natural Bridges National Monument. All three have very dark skys. Valley of the Gods can be problematic for most RVs as the road is dirt and can be very bumpy and rutty after it rains. Check with BLM about road conditions before taking RV into the valley.

Not far over the border from UT is Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. The CG up there is over 8000' and it's pretty black at night.

The area around Natural Bridges NM is pretty remote. The CG there doesn't hold very large rigs however.

I visited Arches in the summer of 2011, and the sky was less dark there than here on the shore of Lake Michigan. One park ranger blamed it on California... pollution or some such. I did find the milky way finally on that trip, outside Jackson Wy in the Tetons.

I am looking forward to the North Rim, but I'm also concerned about how close it is to hideous Las Vegas, a city that prides itself on light pollution.

Looking tentatively at September for this trip

Chaco Culture National Historical Park in NM, remote, massive Ancestral Puebloan ruins on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Campground inside the park.

Sunrises are pretty special, too, sometimes rising over Fajada Butte (visible from campsites) where the "sun dagger" symbols were found.

Chaco was designated an International Dark Sky park and has a big telescope and night viewing ranger programs.

Grand Canyon, North Rim, 8,800' Elevation.

Devils Garden campground in Arches National Park at Moab is supposedly the best for night time star gazing and also lots to do during the day. We were there in 2013 in September and it was awesome.

What do you want to do during the day? Dark sky is readily available out here, but only after the sun goes down. ;)

LS