ROVA Magazine | Dark Sky State of Mind

The drive up to the mountaintop yurt is a bumpy one. I rattle back and forth in the 4×4, the dusk breeze soft on the ascent.

 

I’m in Utah’s Wasatch Range, on the western edge of the Rockies. Wasatch is a Ute word for “low place in high mountains,” but there’s nothing low about the 5,925‐foot altitude. Wildflowers are blooming, silvery lupine the showstopper of the bunch.

 

I’m here, at the Lodge at Blue Sky, to watch the Perseids meteor shower with astronaut Terry Virts. The former commander of the International Space Station holds the record for most astrophotographs taken on a single space mission, with more than 319,000 images. (He’s written multiple books about his adventures, including A View from Above for National Geographic.)

 

I hear Virts talk about his career with NASA, and share some of those memories and images as part of a weekend of programming around the astronaut. For the meteor shower portion, the resort’s activities yurt has been transformed into a sort of speakeasy under the stars, complete with glittering, space-inspired beverages, plush blankets to keep us warm as night settles, and snacks to balance the out-of-this-world cocktails. Virts visits with guests, answering questions and mingling, while we wait for the sky to darken and the real show to begin. After a while, the Perseids meteor shower starts; bits of ice and rock from the Comet Swift–Tuttle streak across the sky. Attendees get quiet and take in the beauty above. Virts shares more about this annual celestial event, and even sets up a special telescope for optimal viewing. All in all, this weekend leaves me starstruck in more ways than one.

 

“Utah is known for its incredible, accredited Dark Sky Parks and Places due to minimal light pollution [exposing] an expansive field of stars and planets overhead typically not visible in other destinations,” says Joe Ogdie, General Manager of the Lodge at Blue Sky. “Stargazing here is truly a remarkable experience.”

 

It’s not just the Lodge at Blue Sky jumping on the night sky bandwagon. There’s a new DarkSky International category— DarkSky Approved Lodging— which was announced just last year. Glamping powerhouse Under Canvas and all five of its Grand Circle camps (including Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Moab in Utah) are the world’s first official DarkSky-approved resorts. Guests can enjoy full-moon hikes, star parties, starbathing meditations, astronomy talks, and culinary delights inspired by the galaxy.

 

As a whole, beyond lodging, the state of Utah has fully embraced astrotourism. “If you look at a light-pollution map, the bulk of Utah’s skies remain pristine— particularly around its national and state parks,” says Stephanie Vermillion, travel journalist, photographer, and author of the upcoming National Geographic book 100 Nights of a Lifetime. “These clear skies and dramatic landscapes create the perfect recipe for stargazing.” Utah leads the world in dark sky preservation, with 24 (and counting) designated Dark Sky Places. It even has a designated Utah Dark Sky Month (April).

 

“I was born and raised in Utah, so the skies there hold a special place in my heart,” says Bettymaya Foott, Director of Engagement at DarkSky International. “Not only does Utah host incredible landscapes, with winding red-rock canyons, towering snowy mountains, and everything in between; [the state] has taken steps to ensure that we experience these jaw-dropping landscapes with protected night skies above. Utah has the most DarkSky‐certified International Dark Sky Places on the state level worldwide! I’m honored to be from a state that promotes and protects its amazing dark skies,” she adds.

 

Where to See the Stars in Utah

With so many places to enjoy the night sky in the Beehive State, I’ve narrowed down some top picks. Read on for some of the best stargazing spots in Utah.

 

Natural Bridges National Monument
A favorite pick from Utah-born Foott, “[It’s] a beautiful place to see the stars above wide-spanning arches! It was also the first‐ever International Dark Sky Park,” she shares. Interested in fly‐fishing under the stars in this area? Work with Ticaboo Adventure Center in North Lake Powell to coordinate an experience to remember. The company also offers a dark‐sky night-ride UTV tour in the Bullfrog Basin.

 

Antelope Island State Park

Less than an hour from Salt Lake City, the park makes dark skies accessible to everyone. Antelope Island juts into the Great Salt Lake, and is home to roaming antelope herds and bison, and 36 miles of hiking trails.

 

Zion National Park

This is Vermillion’s go-to in Utah. “Take otherworldly Zion, one of my favorite dark-sky parks in not only Utah, but the country. It illustrates the importance of dark-sky protections,” she says. “I felt grounding and awe watching shooting stars and planets from viewpoints like the Court of the Patriarchs and the Pa’rus Trail. While stargazing, I also saw several animals that rely on dark skies to survive, including a nocturnal and elusive ringtail (a member of the raccoon family) that skittered out from the brush as I set up my astro time-lapse. These kinds of experiences are a great reminder that dark skies provide not only perspective and grounding for us, but also safety and sustenance for myriad animals,” Vermillion explains.

 

Canyonlands National Park

South of Moab in Eastern Utah, Canyonlands offers an extra adventurous stargazing experience. Holiday River Expeditions leads a multi-day mountain biking and stargazing experience throughout the park’s Island in the Sky district.

These are just a handful of the countless incredible stargazing opportunities sprinkled around Utah. Add this celestial state, and its wide-open night skies, to your travel bucket list!

 

Katy Spratte Joyce is a Midwest- based food and travel writer. You can usually find her lakeside.