4 Epic Stargazing Road Trip Ideas Made for Campers

Pack your bags and prepare for a star-filled journey that’ll take you to remote mountain peaks, red rock deserts, and quiet beaches on one of these stargazing camping itineraries throughout the U.S. 

All of these road trips feature certified Dark Sky Places recognized by DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association) that boast pristine night skies free from light pollution. Although the suggested routes are listed west to east and north to south, they’re adaptable to the reverse route or a shorter version, depending on your specific trip. 

Before you set out on your preferred road trip route, read up on this guide to stargazing for beginners to learn how to view the night sky and make note of upcoming meteor showers, planetary alignments, and other noteworthy cosmic events using our annual astronomical calendar to help you plan your travel dates. 

U.S. Southwest: Scenic Byway 12 

Distance & number of days: 900 miles, 10 days
Grand Canyon National Park gets a lot of attention—and deservedly so—but there’s plenty more dark-sky desert to explore in the southwestern United States. In fact, many of the most notable stargazing spots are in the deserts of Nevada, Utah, and Colorado. 

Scenic Byway 12, also called Utah Highway 12 or UT-12, is an especially spectacular way to travel to prime desert camping areas. The All American Road passes through Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon National Park before arriving at Capitol Reef National Park. You can then continue on to the city of Moab, a designated Dark Sky Community near Arches National Park, and cross into Colorado toward Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

Suggested itinerary: 

• Start in Nevada’s Great Basin National Park and tour Lehman Caves. 
• Head southeast on UT-21 E toward Bryce Canyon National Park for its evening astronomy programs every Wednesday and Friday, May through September. 
• Follow Scenic Byway 12, stopping by Capitol Reef National Park, to Moab and Arches National Park. Hike up landmarks like Delicate Arch and Balanced Rock. 
• Drive along I-70 E and US-50 E to the South Rim viewpoints at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado for more stargazing. 
• CO-133 N and CO-114 E will take you to Great Sand Dunes National Park. Take a refreshing dip in Medano Creek to cool down in summer. 
• Consider extending your road trip south to more southern Dark Sky Places like Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico and Big Bend National Park in Texas. 

Amazing dark sky places on your route: 

• Great Basin National Park 
• Bryce Canyon National Park 
• Capitol Reef National Park 
• Moab, Utah
• Arches National Park
• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 
• Crestone, Colorado 
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
• Capulin Volcano National Monument
• Big Bend National Park

Top Hipcamps along the route:

• Camp64 SW Utah Off-Grid Camping, Alton, Utah (45 minutes from Bryce Canyon)
• Red River Camp – Capitol Reef, Teasdale, Utah (10 minutes from Capital Reef)
• Field Station Moab, Moab, Utah (30 minutes from Arches)

U.S. Southeast: Outer Banks National Scenic Byway

Distance & number of days: 214 miles, 7 days

North Carolina’s Outer Banks National Scenic Byway offers some of the darkest skies in America. With quaint towns, expansive Atlantic Ocean beaches, and calmer sands on the Pamlico Sound side, this southeastern region offers unique dark-sky camping scored by crashing ocean waves.

Even though Cape Lookout National Seashore is the only designated Dark Sky Place on this stargazing road trip itinerary, the whole stretch of coastline is great for observing meteor showers and other celestial events if you know where to look.

Suggested itinerary: 

• Start at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge to explore the wetlands for local wildlife or kayak in Milltail Creek. Look for open areas away from tree cover, like the Sandy Ridge Wildlife Trail, for stargazing.
• Take US-64 E to connect to the main stretch of the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway near Whalebone Junction. Cape Hatteras National Seashore is to the south, offering great beachcombing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding. 
• Continue along NC-12 S to Cape Lookout National Seashore and take a ferry from Davis or Harkers Island. Shell along the shore, then spend the night enjoying excellent night sky views far from artificial light.
• Get onto NC-70 W to complete your stargazing road trip at Croatan National Forest. The Cedar Point and Pine Cliff Recreation Areas have open spaces and less light pollution.

Amazing dark sky places along the route:

• Cape Lookout National Seashore

Top Hipcamps along the route:

• Lucky’s Lookout, Gloucester, North Carolina (minutes from Harkers Island)
• Hip Kite Camp! Hatteras Island, NC, Waves, North Carolina (last undeveloped wooded areas within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore)
• Cedar Island Ranch, Cedar Island, North Carolina (minutes from Cedar Island Ferry terminal)

U.S. Northwest: Rocky Mountain road trip

Distance & number of days: 766 miles, 9 days

The forests of the Pacific Northwest in Washington and Oregon aren’t especially renowned for their stargazing opportunities. But, there’s a remote area of the Oregon outback in Eastern Lake County that’s earmarked as a possible International Dark Sky Sanctuary since it offers some of the darkest skies in the world. 

However, just a few miles east into Idaho, campers can find incredible stargazing opportunities among the towering Rocky Mountain range in locations like the City of Rocks National Reserve and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. 

Suggested itinerary: 

• Start at Glacier National Park near the Canadian border in the heart of Montana’s Rocky Mountains. Look out for mountain goats and grizzly bears while exploring glacier-carved peaks. 
• Follow US-2 W to Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge near Whitefish, Montana. Enjoy birdwatching and hiking in forested areas during the day and amazing stargazing in open areas at night.
• Take ID-75 S toward Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, America’s first Dark Sky Reserve. Gaze up at the Milky Way from the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Then, visit the city of Ketchum, an IDA-designated Dark Sky Community.
• US-20 E will take you to Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Tour the Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop lava tube caves in summer.
• Drive farther south to the City of Rocks National Reserve, a designated Dark Sky Place with remarkable geological formations and excellent rock climbing. Nearby, Castle Rocks State Park has great stargazing, too.

Amazing dark sky places along the route:

• Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge
• Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
• Ketchum, Idaho
• Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
• City of Rocks National Reserve

Top Hipcamps along the route:

• City of Rocks Retreat Sites 8,9,10, Almo, Idaho (just outside the entrance to the City of Rocks National Reserve)
• The Dragon’s Star, Carey, Idaho (20 minutes from Craters of the Moon National Park)
• Legacy Creeks Ranch, Whitefish, Montana (close proximity to Glacier National Park)

U.S. Midwest and Northeast: Great Lakes road trip

Distance & number of days: 1,062 miles, 7 days

The region around the Great Lakes in the Midwest and Northeastern United States provides exceptional opportunities for stargazing camping trips, too. Start as far west as the vast wilderness of Keweenaw Dark Sky Park, surrounded by Lake Superior on three sides. 

As you follow the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, you’ll find more Dark Sky Places through Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Observatory Park in Geauga Park District near Cleveland takes your stargazing up a level with access to the Nassau Astronomical Station, planetarium shows, and astronomy-themed programming. 

Suggested itinerary: 

• Start at Newport State Park in Wisconsin. Take advantage of the kayak rentals on Lake Michigan, then visit the park’s designated stargazing area or find a spot near the shore for the best dark-sky viewing.  
• Follow WI-57 S, I-43 S, and I-94 E past Chicago to Dr. T. K. Lawless International Dark Sky Park near South Bend. The park has a designated stargazing area to set up your telescope for an unobstructed night-sky view. 
• Head out along I-90 E toward Cleveland to Geauga Observatory Park. Check the park schedule for upcoming programming, including the opportunity to look through the Oberle telescope.
• Drive east on I-80 to complete your Great Lakes stargazing road trip at Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania. The Astronomy Field offers excellent conditions for stargazing with minimal light pollution.

Amazing dark sky places along the route:

• Keweenaw Dark Sky Park
• Newport State Park
• Hawthorn Woods, Illinois
• Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park
• Geauga Observatory Park 
• Fry Family Park 
• Cherry Springs State Park

Top Hipcamps along the route:

• 5 Secluded Acres on River, Forestville, Wisconsin (0.5 miles from Door County)
• Bloom Bus Farms, Niles, Michigan (30 minutes from Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park)
• River Island Cabin & Campsites, Warren, Pennsylvania (located on a secluded private island on the Allegheny River)

Gaze up at starry skies from stellar campsites across America

A camping road trip is a great way to visit several Dark Sky parks in the U.S. at once, which is why planning your camping road trip around designated stargazing sites can make for exceptional memories. 

Whether you choose one of the itineraries above or you’d prefer to map out your own route, our dark skies map will help you pick great campgrounds with unparalleled starry night views. 

Roadtrip with Hipcamp

Start planning your next roadtrip with Roadtrip search, the easiest way to find magical sites along any roadtrip route—however you camp. Simply plug in your starting and ending points, and the map will connect the two points and show options for Hipcamps within 30 minutes of your custom search route. Now you can find unique places to stay on the road, no matter how planned or spontaneous the journey.