One of the best places to see the stars in the entire US is in the beautiful state of Utah. Not only does it have some of the most amazing landforms on Earth, but it also has excellent dark skies.
Even though most of our trips have an element of stargazing, our family decided this summer’s adventure was going to completely revolve around viewing and photographing Utah's beauty at night. You might be wondering how you can prepare for a dark sky trip like this, so here’s our basic process.
Planning the Trip
We planned our two-week stargazing adventure around the moon phases. A new moon or crescent is best because it allows you to see the most stars. Also, stargazing when the moon sets early in the night is most ideal when organizing a stargazing RV trip.
We planned this out six months in advance to get the campsites where and when we wanted them. Just download a lunar phase app to help you see when the moon rises and sets!
Next, we looked at our own personal dark sky map in addition to Google Maps to locate places we wanted to visit. Some of these we had been to before, and some were new. All of them had good to excellent Milky Way visibility.
How to Use a Dark Sky Map
When using a dark sky map, look for locations that are gray or blue at a Bortle level of 1, 2, or 3. These all are the least light-polluted areas best for viewing as many stars as possible. If you aren't able to visit these areas, try for green or yellow locations which are reasonably dark at a Bortle level of 4 and 5. Avoid any area on the map that is orange, red, pink, or white at a Bortle level of 6, 7, 8, or 9.
Note: Our Bortle ratings are based on our light pollution meter readings and what we viewed with our naked eyes from each campground in addition to our dark sky campground map.
Utah Dark Sky Locations
Southern Utah is typically dry in the summer, so we knew stargazing would be great with minimal humidity to interfere with the visibility of the stars. We just needed the best dates to go with the locations. So we planned our camping trip for when the moon would be hidden below the horizon at night.
These are the locations we selected this year to include in our dark sky RV campground trip.
Kodachrome Basin State Park is our hidden spot. It's surprisingly peaceful and nearly empty in the summer. That's perfect because we love the quiet.
First off, hiking is a must in this park. Don't just drive through it; you'll be done in 30 minutes and miss the best parts. If you are looking for an easy hike, try the Nature Trail. It's a leisurely, flat hike with spires and chimneys that give you a small taste of what makes Kodachrome Basin amazing without much effort.
Since we've hiked every trail in Kodachrome Basin, we feel you absolutely need to complete the Panorama Trail and Angels Palace Trail. The Panorama takes you to several great overlooks, to a quiet cave, and past a variety of unique landforms. The Angels Palace Trail gives you a great look at the park from above after meandering through an otherworldly landscape.
What about the stars at Kodachrome Basin State Park? Let's just say they are amazing. This is an International Dark Sky Park, so you’ll see tons from a location with minimal light pollution because of their shielded lights. They take dark sky lighting seriously here.
From the campground in the summer, we found the Milky Way core to be bright and beautiful. A couple of evenings, we ventured out on a night hike to shoot a few landforms like Chimney Rock under the stars.
As for RV hookups in the park, Kodachrome Basin has a mixture of full, partial, and no hookups depending on where you camp. We parked our Jayco at a campsite in the Basin Campground loop which had full hookups with water, 30 amp electric, sewer, and plenty of room for a big RV. The site was reasonably spaced with trees in between and a neat view of the basin surrounding us.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 3
Bryce Canyon National Park
One of the “Mighty Five” national parks of Utah and probably our favorite national park in the state is Bryce Canyon National Park.
The overlooks are outstanding here, but the views are mind-blowing on the trail. You can take a mule or horse to the bottom of the canyon if you're not up for a hike through the beautiful terrain. Alison and I did it years ago, and it was fun. Now, we simply hike.
Just like Kodachrome Basin, we have completed everyday hike in Bryce Canyon and enjoyed them all. Bryce has the world's most spectacular hoodoos with a famous one called Thor's Hammer on the Navajo Trail. You'll see plenty of natural features of erosion on this amazing and very popular hiking trail. Because of the crowds on the Navajo, we prefer the Peekaboo and Fairyland trails, which are longer but offer views just as epic.
We didn't just watch the stars from in front of our Jayco, but we also hiked into the hoodoo-filled Bryce Amphitheater late at night to shoot the stars. This isn’t for anyone afraid of both the dark and heights, but it was an absolutely magical experience for us! The landforms are almost indescribably beautiful when looking at them with a starry background on the edge of a nearly thousand-foot drop. Bryce Canyon is an incredible dark sky park to explore at night.
As for the campground, North Campground is our preferred spot. It's close to the general store and gives you quick access to canyon views. Loop A will fit larger RVs, while Loop B is set up for small travel trailers and camper vans. There are no water, sewer, or electric hookups here, but there are water spigots located throughout the campground. Specific daily generator hours are set aside if you need electricity, and you'll also find a dump station nearby. Each campsite also has a fire ring for some grilling and chilling under the stars.
Some people feel a dedicated dark sky weather app is important for stargazing. We tend to simply use a regular weather app or website like weather.com, Weather Bug, or AccuWeather. The radar feature on each has worked well enough over the years for us to make informed decisions about our astrophotography nights. Also, keep in mind if you are in an area that is extremely dark, there’s also a good chance you won't even have service to use a weather app. So, plan ahead.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 3
Escalante Petrified Forest State Park
When you're RVing through Utah, you don't need to go all the way to Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park to see great examples of petrified wood. Southern Utah has an awesome dark sky park called Escalante Petrified State Park that should satisfy your need to view both fossilized trees and starry skies.
We love the Sleeping Rainbow and Petrified Forest Loop Trail. It has some amazing petrified wood that has all the colors of the rainbow and everything in between. There are incredible canyon views at the furthest point of the hike and a great view of the lake below on your ascent up to see the wood. If you aren't up for a hike, stop by the visitor center to see some examples on display.
What really makes this park special (besides the petrified wood) is its location. The park gives you access to Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, which is loaded with amazing hikes. For example, if you drive down Hole-in-the-Rock Road you can try hiking through Spooky and Zebra Slot Canyons, check out Broken Bow Arch, or go all the way to the end along the Hole-in-the-Rock Trailhead.
For this particular trip, we decided to casually play around in Devil's Garden. It's full of hoodoos and natural arches where you can explore freely like a giant playground for kids young and old alike.
At night, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park really shines. We mean that literally. The lake is so calm, that we spent hours photographing the starlight reflecting off its smooth surface…that is after we took some shots of an awesome SpaceX launch in the distance.
If you are an RVer who enjoys camping right by a lake, you should visit Escalante Petrified Forest. This state park has some of the newest RV spots in Utah with lots of large pull-through sites including full hookups. Here you'll find quick access to the water where you can launch your own kayak or paddleboard from just in front of your RV. The park also rents this non-motorized equipment if you don't bring any.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 1
Pine Lake in Dixie National Forest
This is the darkest campground on our trip list. Only 30 minutes away from Bryce National Park, Pine Lake Recreation Area is a great place to escape the crowds and enjoy insanely dark skies.
Since this campground is located in the Dixie National Forest, you'll find the skies will be partially obstructed with trees. That's okay. Simply find an open area in one of the many nearby fields. for a better view.
We picked this location for a relaxing time under the pines. As stated in the name, Pine Lake has a lake, and it's a breathtaking one where you can fish or just hang out. The mountains in the background add another dimension to the beauty. Pine Lake Campground is also an excellent base for off-roading into these mountains. You'll notice plenty of ATVs, side-by-sides, and other off-road vehicles parked throughout the campground.
Amenities for RVers are limited in the campground. You might be deterred by the fact that there are no hookups and you have to pack out your own trash. Do not worry; generators are allowed, the sites have fire pits and picnic tables, water spigots are located throughout the campground, and there are dumpsters just a few miles down the road. Just ask the campground host if you have trouble finding them. Also, you can dump in the town of Bryce when you leave the area.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 3
Zion National Park
One of America's most visited national parks is Zion National Park in the southwest part of Utah. Even though we usually like to avoid crowds, we thought it would be a great idea to take Preston and Grayson to Zion. Alison and I have been here before, but the kids have not.
One of America's most visited national parks is Zion National Park in the southwest part of Utah. Even though we usually like to avoid crowds, we thought it would be a great idea to take Preston and Grayson to Zion. Alison and I have been here before, but the kids have not.
We stayed at the Watchman Campground in the southwest corner of the park near the town of Springdale. It gives you easy access to the buses that take you into the park and into town if you don't feel like driving.
Zion is potentially great for stargazing. Unfortunately, it turned out to be our worst stargazing experience on this trip. The stars were great and the Milky Way was beautiful, but many campers were using bright lights well into the night. Our goal here was to photograph the spectacular mountain called The Watchman in this dark sky park, but the intense, white flashlights and people shining laser pointers on the landforms made it tough to thoroughly enjoy. So, remember to camp responsibly when RVing by turning off your lights before bed and respecting your fellow campers trying to enjoy the night sky.
Everyone knows Zion National Park has two bucket list hikes in one incredible park. So, when you aren't stargazing, make sure to check the water levels of the Narrows and get your permit for Angels Landing. We love the views from the canyon down below at the top of the 5 ½ mile round trip hike. Give it a go if you aren't afraid of heights.
As for RVing at Watchman Campground, our site had electricity, a picnic table, and a fire pit, but there were no water or sewer hookups. Potable water stations and a dump station were available. All of the sites are within a short walk to our favorite feature of this campground which is the Virgin River. It's a great river to stroll along or even splash in when the days are hot, so bring a swimsuit.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 5
Sand Hollow State Park
Between the town of Hurricane and the city of St. George, Sand Hollow State Park is situated in the southwest corner of Utah. This park is an outdoor playground for locals, but it's one you might want to also add to your stargazing trip. It makes for a good stopping point if you need to stay in this area of Utah, but don't want to camp in the city.
What is there to do in Sand Hollow?
We'll get to stargazing in a second, but if you are ready to have some fun in the sand and on the water, this is your park. They are very well known for their awesome 15,000 acres of sand used by off-highway vehicle (OHV) owners and renters alike. If you don't have an OHV or a boat, there are plenty of places to rent. You can also take a swim at the beach or dive from the rocks along the shore. You seriously won't be bored in this park.
Lakeview Campground was where we stayed because we wanted quick access to the avian wildlife. Birding was amazing in this campground since there is a marshy little point that juts out into the reservoir. We photographed plenty of birds during our stay.
Of all the locations on our summer stargazing trip, this is the most light-polluted. Usually, we like to stay in the darkest spots, but we wanted to try something different on this trip. Still, Sand Hollow State Park is darker than the vast majority of places in the U.S. that people get to see. It's classified at a Bortle 5 level.
This means the Milky Way is still visible above you but maybe only a little bit visible just above the horizon. One of the other reasons we stayed at this park was to show people that all it takes is a short drive from a medium-sized city, and you can have your own stargazing RV adventure.
Night Sky Brightness: Bortle 3
Kanab’s Dark Sky RV Campground
On our way home to Dallas, we also made a quick overnight stop at Dark Sky RV Campground. Located just outside of the town of Kanab, Utah, this campground is an excellent example of what a dark campground can be. It's less than 10 minutes away from downtown Kanab, but it feels a world away.
The campground is well-spaced, has full hookups, and is loaded with plenty of things to do. We also loved the rustic theme of the park which was executed perfectly. Just to name a few amenities, they have a mini zipline and a dig site for little kids, a dog park, swings, laundry facilities, an outside library with a seating area, off-road vehicle rentals, and some of the nicest bathrooms at any RV park. You also can't beat their fast internet or amazing snack bar seating area that is open 24 hours.
If you are heading into Kanab or any of the surrounding areas to play, make this your home base. The campground hosts and everyone we met there was friendly and seemed to care about the night sky, which is what you love to see when on a dark sky trip. They definitely know what they are doing when it comes to proper campground lighting and advocacy.
There are so many other amazing locations in Southern Utah
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Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (Bortle 2) is excellent for sand sledding and off-roading. The dunes are a stunning pinkish-orange color in the morning and evening light when you aren't focusing on the night sky.
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Dead Horse Point State Park
Dead Horse Point State Park (Bortle 3) has excellent overlooks of the rivers below and offers quick access to Canyonlands National Park. We photographed the Comet Neowise from this dark sky location.
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Arches National Park
Arches National Park (Bortle 3 in the park but Bortle 5 near the Moab entrance) has the world's highest concentration of arches perfect for creative astrophotography. It's home to the Fiery Furnace which is still our kids' favorite hike ever.
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Goulding's Lodge Monument Valley
Goulding's Lodge Monument Valley (Bortle 3) gets pretty dark at night and has easy access to the tribal park with its well-known landforms. Also, Forrest Gump Point from the famous 1990s movie is just down the road.
From the incredible canyons of Gooseneck State Park and Canyonlands National Park to the wild landforms found in Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park, it could take months to see all the amazing spots in Southern Utah. This area is a great pocket to explore. So, make sure to get the best bang for your buck by planning a trip here where the stargazing is fantastic and some of the most epic landscapes on the planet are found!
