View The Night Ski At Natural Bridges National Monument

Natural Bridges National Monument is known internationally for its amazingly dark night sky and vivid stars. It is one of the best places in the world to view the night sky. It hosts star parties and other star gazing events on a regular basis. See the park website for information about dark sky events.

Now the monument has been included in this list of the best spots in the US to view the night sky. The list includes:

• Portal, Arizona – Home of the Arizona Sky Village, a residential area in the southeast corner of Arizona that was specifically purchased and developed by mainly retired amateur astronomers.
• Natural Bridges National Monument – Located in the southeast corner of Utah, Natural Bridges National Monument features the second largest natural bridge in the world and is also home to some of the darkest skies in the United States. In 2007, Natural Bridges National Monument was named the first International Dark-Sky Park in 2007 by the International Dark-Sky Association. This designation recognizes the availability and quality of dark skies at Natural Bridges National Monument and also the park’s commitment to preserving dark skies and educating the public about the importance of dark skies. Check out the park’s astronomy ranger program during the summer months.
• Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
• Fairbanks, Alaska
• Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Many other spots in Utah also offer extraordinarily dark skies. They include Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument and much of Canyonlands National Park, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.