Did you know Zion Park is the fourth most popular national park in the United States? (Or that it's one of the best national parks for stargazing?) People are drawn to visit for the beautiful natural rock formations, the great hiking trails, and the chance to see a night sky that's almost entirely free of light pollution. Yes, it's true: one of the best reasons to visit Zion National Park is stargazing...

The Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most famous natural formations. This 277-mile-long and up to 18-mile wide canyon is considered to be the 8th Wonder of the World. Every year, millions of visitors come from around the world to view this geological marvel. These travelers have the chance to hike along the canyon rims, raft the mighty Colorado River, and view the epic Grand Canyon sunrises and sunsets...

The wind whips up over the mountaintop. It's the kind of night where you can't help but shiver – except there are so many stars overhead that it's distractingly beautiful. This is what it's like stargazing in Acadia National Park. Acadia National Park is one of the best spots for stargazing in New England, one of the biggest dark sky locations in the Eastern Seaboard, and...

If you love stargazing, there are a few great places in the world that are surely on your must-travel-someday list. The Grand Canyon is surely on that list, as well as every Dark Sky Reserve. If you're in the U.S., you probably have Joshua Tree on your list too. This National Park is known for its amazing vegetation, stunning rock formations, and pristine dark skies...

The Golden State is home to many wonders, and this is no better encapsulated than in the nine national parks in California. There you'll find towering Redwoods, steaming fumaroles, otherworldly Joshua Trees, and the breathtaking beauty of Yosemite...

At 4,335 square miles, Jasper National Park is the second-largest Canadian Dark Sky Preserve in the world, and the largest easily accessible one. The largest one, Wood Buffalo, is also in the province of Alberta, but far more difficult to reach. Jasper is a stargazer’s paradise, and even from the town of Jasper, you can take in star-filled skies and northern lights...

Across the United States, there are some incredible places for stargazing; our national parks are among the best – especially out west where there's less light pollution, lower humidity, higher elevation, and, often, clearer skies. I've covered many national parks over the years and provided tips on stargazing in them, including places like Great Basin, Arches, and even Jasper, north of the border...

Some states have all the luck – they have several national parks and pristine night skies above. A few that come to mind are Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. But don't overlook Nevada, the neighbor to the west! Nevada is home to just one national park, Great Basin, and it too is an epic stargazing location...

For a place with death in its name, Death Valley National Park is surprisingly full of life. Vegetation persists even in the driest, harshest climates; birds, bats, and bugs thrive in their little niches within the ecosystem; there are even springs and creeks where vegetation and animals flourish in the hottest place on earth. And that's all just describing the daytime – Death Valley is more full of life at night, when cooler temperatures bring animals out of holes where they escape the heat all day and stars whirl overhead...