As the campers quiet down and crawl into their sleeping bags, as sizzling fires are snuffed out, and as the crickets start their nightly song, the night’s sky awakens and rolls out a beautiful show of stars. In Utah’s National Parks, the nights are even darker and the show more stunning.
From Bryce Canyon to Capital Reef and over to Arches, the National Park fun doesn’t stop with the sun goes down. The southern deserts of Utah are one of the darkest regions in North American – unspoiled by city lights and urban sprawl. While most American’s can’t see the Milky Way from where they live, out there its magic in the making every night as the earth continues it’s daily rotation.
So next time you visit one of Utah’s parks, you have a choice to make: Go to bed early to save energy for tomorrow’s adventures, or stay up late for a chance to stare up at the sky and savor a moment tens of thousands of years in the making.
Check out the National Park services’ Dark Sky Programs this year to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of our parks. Where is your favorite place to star gaze?
Evergreen Hiker 