Wales dark sky parks
List of darkest parks and places in Wales for stargazing, astrophotography, astrotourism, star parties, and astronomy club events. Often these are national and regional parks and forests that are either remote or "protected" against light pollution.
Also ask your local UK astronomy club for guidance as they will know the darkest places.
| Dark Sky Park | Location | Brecon Beacons National Park | Wales | Elan Valley | Wales | Presteigne & Norton | Snowdonia | Betws-y-Coed | Ynys Enlli-Bardsey | Aberdaron |
UK light pollution maps w/ Bortle
2023 nighttime satellite image of the UK (showing Wales) from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center.
2015 light pollution map of the UK showing sky brightness at the zenith from World Atlas data. Colors correspond approximately to the Bortle scale, with pink being the brightest (most light-polluted) and dark gray being the darkest skies. Use as a guide to find the darkest sky locations near you.
