SALT LAKE CITY \u2013 If you\u2019re the type of person who prefers to look up rather than around at night, then Utah is the right place for you.<\/p>\n
A recent nationwide study credits the Beehive State with having three of the ten best towns for stargazing in the United States, according to Carl Borg, an outdoor expert and founder of the international Outforia website.<\/p>\n
That research ranked Torrey, Utah \u2013 near Capitol Reed National Park \u2013 as the Number One town in America for stargazing based not only on its deeply dark skies, but also on its visitor amenities including friendly places to stay, eat and plan a celestial viewing foray.<\/p>\n
\u201cUtah stood out as the strongest state in the ranking,\u201d Borg explained, \u201cwith Torrey taking the top spot thanks to its high sky darkness and access to the nearby Capitol Reef National Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKanab ranked eighth, helped by its proximity to parks and monuments in southern Utah, while Moab placed ninth with access to Arches and Canyonlands national parks\u201d.<\/p>\n
The researchers at Outforia ranked the top 10 town for stargazing based on a scale that judged the darkness of the night sky, the average cloud cover, elevation, accessibility and nearby night-sky destinations (e.g. national parks).<\/p>\n
In addition to the aforementioned Utah sites, the top 10 list included Flagstaff, AZ; Borrego Springs, CA; Westcliffe, CO; Ketchum, ID; Ely, NV; and two towns in Texas, Marathon and Dripping Springs.<\/p>\n
Officials acknowledge that there is no way to estimate the number of annual visitors to Utah\u2019s national parks who are drawn to those locations for stargazing as opposed to hiking, sightseeing and other attractions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But total annual visitors to Capitol Reef are expected to reach 1.2 million by the end of 2026, while visitors to Arches are expected to top 1.5 million with another 400,000 visitors are expected at Canyonlands.<\/p>\n
\u201cUtah works so well for stargazing because it gives travelers the best of both worlds — access to genuinely dark skies, without forcing them to base their whole trip somewhere remote or impractical,\u201d Borg remarked after reviewing the result of the Outforia study.<\/p>\n
\u201cTorrey is a good example. You\u2019re close to the darker skies around Capitol Reef, but you still have a proper town to return to, which makes it easier to check conditions, plan your night and avoid some of the risks that come with heading out unprepared.<\/p>\n
\u201cKanab and Moab are similar. They show why Utah has become such a strong destination for night-sky travel,\u201d he explains. \u201cVisitors can build a whole trip around stargazing, rather than treating it as something they squeeze in at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where stargazing trips often go wrong, Borg explains, is when people are focused on finding the darkest possible spot without inquiring about cloud cover, the phase of the moon, local lighting and how far they\u2019ll need to drive after dark.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor beginners, I\u2019d always suggest starting from a town near a recognized dark-sky area, rather than trying to improvise somewhere remote,\u201d he adds. \u201cYou can still get a much better view of the night sky, but with far less risk of getting lost, arriving unprepared or ending up somewhere unsafe after dark.\u201d<\/p>\n