Best Places for Stargazing and Astrotourism in 2026
Outside Magazine • • science
Key Points:
- Astrotourism, the travel trend focused on experiencing dark night skies, is growing as light pollution increases globally by 10% annually, making starry skies harder to find.
- Destinations like Under Canvas in Utah, Cosmic Campground in New Mexico, and Keweenaw Mountain Lodge in Michigan offer certified dark sky experiences with minimal light pollution and additional outdoor activities.
- Flagstaff, Arizona, the world’s first International Dark Sky Community, combines historic astronomy sites like Lowell Observatory with strict lighting codes to preserve night sky visibility.
- Unique astrotourism experiences include the Verde Canyon Railroad’s night train tours in Arizona, Ireland’s Terra Firma dark sky safaris combining stargazing with storytelling, and Kenya’s Basecamp Samb
