International Dark Sky Places
Certified reserves and sanctuaries with the world's most pristine night skies. 30 places, mapped and ready to build a trip around.
Plan a trip on Trailwind →Alpes Azur Mercantour Dark Sky Reserve
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, FranceBestJul–NovCurrencyEURLanguageFrenchWhere the Alps plunge toward the Mediterranean, pristine mountain dark.
Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve
Canterbury, New ZealandBestAprClimate27–66°FCurrencyNZDLanguageEnglishThe world's largest International Dark Sky Reserve, under the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Clouds.
Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) Dark Sky Reserve
Wales, United KingdomBestAug–OctClimate30–59°FCurrencyGBPLanguageEnglishWelsh mountain reserve with some of Britain's darkest skies.
Bukk Dark Sky Reserve
Northern Hungary, HungaryBestAug–OctClimate25–73°FCurrencyHUFLanguageHungarianA Hungarian mountain reserve with protected skies.
Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
Idaho, United StatesBestJun–OctClimate7–75°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishThe Lower 48's first Dark Sky Reserve, in the Sawtooth wilderness.
Cevennes Dark Sky Reserve
Occitanie, FranceBestMay–SepClimate34–81°FCurrencyEURLanguageFrenchOne of Europe's largest dark-sky reserves, in the Cevennes massif.
Cranborne Chase Dark Sky Reserve
England, United KingdomBestJunClimate36–70°FCurrencyGBPLanguageEnglishChalk downland reserve in southern England.
Eryri (Snowdonia) Dark Sky Reserve
Wales, United KingdomBestAug–OctClimate36–64°FCurrencyGBPLanguageEnglishRugged Welsh peaks and valleys under protected dark skies.
Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve
England, United KingdomBestAug–OctClimate36–64°FCurrencyGBPLanguageEnglishEngland's first Dark Sky Reserve, over open moorland.
Greater Big Bend Dark Sky Reserve
Texas, United StatesBestVariesClimate41–93°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishA vast cross-border reserve spanning Big Bend and northern Mexico.
Kerry Dark Sky Reserve
County Kerry, IrelandBestAug–NovClimate41–63°FCurrencyEURLanguageEnglishIreland's Atlantic-coast dark-sky reserve on the Iveragh Peninsula.
Mont-Megantic Dark Sky Reserve
Quebec, CanadaBestSepCurrencyCADLanguageEnglishThe world's first International Dark Sky Reserve, home to an observatory.
NamibRand Dark Sky Reserve
Hardap, NamibiaBestApr–SepClimate52–95°FCurrencyNADLanguageEnglishAfrica's first International Dark Sky Reserve, over red-dune desert.
Pic du Midi Dark Sky Reserve
Occitanie, FranceBestAugCurrencyEURLanguageFrenchA Pyrenean observatory peak above the clouds.
Rhoen Dark Sky Reserve
Hesse, GermanyBestAug–SepClimate28–70°FCurrencyEURLanguageGermanA German biosphere reserve with protected night skies.
River Murray Dark Sky Reserve
South Australia, AustraliaBestApr–SepClimate43–90°FCurrencyAUDLanguageEnglishAustralia's dark-sky reserve along the River Murray.
Westhavelland Dark Sky Reserve
Brandenburg, GermanyBestJun, Jul, SepClimate34–77°FCurrencyEURLanguageGermanGermany's first dark-sky reserve, an easy escape from Berlin's glow.
Yeongyang Firefly Dark Sky Reserve
North Gyeongsang, South KoreaBestVariesClimate23–82°FCurrencyKRWLanguageKoreanAsia's dark-sky reserve, famed for fireflies and stars.
!Ae !Hai Kalahari Dark Sky Sanctuary
Northern Cape, South AfricaBestMar–OctClimate41–95°FCurrencyZARLanguageZuluA Kalahari sanctuary with some of Africa's darkest skies.
Aotea / Great Barrier Island Dark Sky Sanctuary
Auckland, New ZealandBestJan, MarClimate50–70°FCurrencyNZDLanguageEnglishAn island Dark Sky Sanctuary in the Hauraki Gulf.
Cosmic Campground Dark Sky Sanctuary
New Mexico, United StatesBestVariesClimate23–91°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishThe first Dark Sky Sanctuary on US soil, a 360-degree unobstructed sky.
Devils River Dark Sky Sanctuary
Texas, United StatesBestSep–MayClimate43–97°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishA remote West Texas sanctuary along the Devils River.
Gabriela Mistral Dark Sky Sanctuary
Coquimbo, ChileBestApr–OctCurrencyCLPLanguageSpanishA sanctuary in Chile's observatory heartland.
Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary
Nevada, United StatesBestMay–OctCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishOne of the darkest places in the contiguous US, high-desert Nevada.
Medicine Rocks Dark Sky Sanctuary
Montana, United StatesBestMay–OctClimate16–84°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishA Montana sanctuary among sculpted sandstone rocks.
Niue Dark Sky Sanctuary
South Pacific, NiueBestJun–SepClimate73–82°FThe first entire country to become a Dark Sky Sanctuary.
Pitcairn Islands Dark Sky Sanctuary
South Pacific, Pitcairn IslandsBestAug–SepClimate66–77°FOne of the remotest inhabited places on Earth, a Pacific sanctuary.
Rainbow Bridge Dark Sky Sanctuary
Utah, United StatesBestVariesClimate32–97°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishA remote sanctuary around the world's largest natural bridge.
Kaikōura Dark Sky Sanctuary
New ZealandBestMar–SepClimate43–70°FCurrencyNZDLanguageEnglishNew Zealand's first Dark Sky Sanctuary covers the Kaikōura Peninsula and surrounding ranges, where the Milky Way arcs over the Seaward Kaikōuras and the Pacific in the same frame. Whale-watching by day, southern sky by night.
Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary
United StatesBestVariesClimate23–90°FCurrencyUSDLanguageEnglishOne of the largest Dark Sky Sanctuaries on Earth, spread across Oregon's high desert around Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. No towns, no light domes, just sagebrush plateau and a sky full to the horizon.