Stargazing: Utah, United States

Situated in Utah, Natural Bridges National Monument is the first International Dark Sky Park and promises celestial objects will be visible to the naked eye.

Imagine spending a warm summer night looking through a massive natural bridge hidden in a canyon in remote southeast Utah. Thousands of years ago a river changed course, cutting through solid rock and creating one of the most magnificent natural bridges in the world. This bridge forms a window into the sky, showcasing thousands of stars bright enough to cast a shadow.

Natural Bridges National Monument has one of the darkest skies in the US with almost no light pollution, and is one of the best places to observe the night sky. That prompted the International Dark Sky Association to designate Natural Bridges National Monument as the world’s first International Dark Sky Park. The goal of a Dark Sky Park is to educate the public about light pollution and how they can make a difference. This is the only place in the world to offer nine different viewing sites among its red rock formations.