< dark sky directory

AK dark sky places

List of darkest parks and places in Alaska for stargazing, astrophotography, astrotourism, star parties, and astronomy club events. Often these are national and state parks and forests that are either remote or "protected" against light pollution.

National and state parks often let you stay overnight under the stars, hence their motto - "Half the park is after dark".

Bortle scale for sites is given where known. Also ask your local astronomy club for guidance as they will know the darkest places.

DARK PARK BORTLE
Boswell Bay Beaches Marine Park Area 1
Buskin River State State Recreation Area 1
Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve 1
Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area 2
Chugach National Forest
Denali National Park 1
Donnelly Creek State Recreation Area 2
Eagle Trail State Recreation Area 2
Eklutna Lake
Fielding Lake State Recreation Area 1
Flattop Mountain
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Haines State Forest
Hatcher Pass
Kachemak Bay State Park 2
Katmai National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park
King Mountain State Recreation Area 2
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Lake Louise State Recreation Area 1
Liberty Falls State Recreation Area 1
Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Area 1
Moon Lake State Recreation Area 2
Porcupine Creek State Recreation Area 1
Sandspit Point State Marine Park 2
Security Bay Marine Park Area 1
Shuyak Island 1
Southeast State Forest
Squirrel Creek State Recreation Area 1
Stariski State Recreation Area 2
Tanana Valley State Forest
Tongass National Forest
Wood-Tikchik State Park 1
Worthington Glacier State Recreation Area 2
Wrangell?St. Elias National Park


Light pollution map w/ Bortle

On the left is a 2023 satellite image of AK showing light pollution from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center. On the right is a 2015 light pollution map showing sky brightness at the zenith from World Atlas data. Colors correspond approximately to the Bortle scale. Use as a guide to find the darkest sky locations near you.

AK night sky light pollution map