Dark Sky Sites by US State for Aurora Viewing
Bortle-rated dark sky locations in 7 US states, with the drive distances and access notes recorded for each site.
Coverage: this page lists the 13 sites our dark sky dataset records against a single US state, which today is 7 states — Alaska, Minnesota, Montana, Maine, Michigan, North Dakota and Washington. It is not national coverage, and a state missing from this page has no entry in the dataset rather than no dark sky. The file also holds entries filed under multi-state regions instead of one state; those are not listed here.
Alaska
3 sites recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Alaska is Kp 1+ — see Alaska aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denali National Park | 1 | 120 mi from Fairbanks · 240 mi from Anchorage | Parks Highway, open year-round | One of the darkest skies in North America |
| Chena Hot Springs | 2 | 60 mi from Fairbanks | Chena Hot Springs Road, maintained winter | Aurora viewing with hot springs resort |
| Murphy Dome | 3 | 20 mi from Fairbanks | Murphy Dome Road, 4WD recommended | Popular local aurora viewing spot |
Minnesota
2 sites recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Minnesota is Kp 5+ — see Minnesota aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary Waters | 1 | 110 mi from Duluth · 260 mi from Minneapolis | Superior National Forest roads | Pristine wilderness with exceptional darkness |
| Voyageurs National Park | 2 | 150 mi from Duluth · 300 mi from Minneapolis | Highway 53 to park entrances | Dark skies over lakes and forests |
Montana
1 site recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Montana is Kp 6+ — see Montana aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier National Park | 1 | 35 mi from Kalispell · 200 mi from Great Falls | Going-to-the-Sun Road, seasonal | International Dark Sky Park |
Maine
2 sites recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Maine is Kp 6+ — see Maine aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter State Park | 2 | 85 mi from Bangor · 240 mi from Portland | Millinocket entrance, seasonal | Maine's darkest skies around Mt. Katahdin |
| Acadia National Park | 3 | 160 mi from Portland · 280 mi from Boston | Route 3 to Mount Desert Island | Coastal dark sky viewing |
Michigan
2 sites recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Michigan is Kp 6+ — see Michigan aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Headlands International Dark Sky Park | 2 | 2 mi from Mackinaw City · 280 mi from Detroit | US-31 near Mackinaw City | Designated Dark Sky Park on Lake Michigan |
| Keweenaw Peninsula | 2 | 110 mi from Marquette · 250 mi from Green Bay | US-41 to Copper Harbor | Northernmost Michigan with dark skies |
North Dakota
1 site recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in North Dakota is Kp 6+ — see North Dakota aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theodore Roosevelt National Park | 2 | 130 mi from Bismarck · 220 mi from Fargo | Interstate 94 to Medora | Badlands with minimal light pollution |
Washington
2 sites recorded. The lowest Kp threshold among tracked cities in Washington is Kp 6+ — see Washington aurora forecasts and the state threshold table.
| Site | Bortle | Drive distance | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Cascades National Park | 2 | 110 mi from Seattle | Highway 20, closed in winter | Dark skies in the Cascade Mountains |
| Mount Rainier National Park | 3 | 65 mi from Tacoma · 85 mi from Seattle | Paradise area, check road conditions | High elevation aurora viewing |
How to read these columns
Bortle is a nine-step sky-brightness class: class 1 is the darkest natural sky in this list and class 9 would be an inner-city sky. The values here are the class recorded in our dataset for each site, not a measurement we take on the night.
Drive distance is the approximate road distance in miles stored for each site from the nearby cities named, so it is a rough travel estimate rather than a routed journey. Access repeats the road and season note held with the entry — several of these roads close in winter, which is the season with the most darkness, so check the current status with the land manager before setting out.
What darkness does and does not do
A dark site removes light pollution, which mainly helps with faint displays low on the northern horizon. It does not lower the Kp your location needs, and it cannot compensate for cloud, moonlight, or twilight. A dark site with no geomagnetic activity shows nothing.
- Check the Kp your state needs on the state threshold table.
- Check tonight's conditions on aurora visibility tonight.
- Prefer an unobstructed view north — terrain and trees matter as much as sky class.
- Read how this site works for what the signals can and cannot say.
Nothing on this page guarantees a sighting from any location. Weather, geomagnetic activity, and road conditions all change; verify each before you travel.