8 Dark Sky Preserves In Canada Where You Can Get Spectacular Views Of The Stars & Cosmos
You' can see some of the brightest stars in the country! ✨
Jasper National Park. Right: A person looks at the northern lights at Wood Buffalo National Park.
Look up! Canada is home to some of the darkest skies in the world, allowing you to get a beautiful glimpse of the cosmos.
The country is home to several dark sky preserves offering vast views of the night sky where you can go stargazing, catch meteor showers, and find some of the best opportunities to see the northern lights.
Many are located in national parks, where you can camp overnight under a canopy of stars.
If being surrounded by some of the brightest stars you've ever seen and being able to see planets with the naked eye sound like your idea of a good time, here are eight dark sky preserves in Canada you'll want to add to your travel bucket list.
Jasper National Park
Price: $10.50 per adult for admission, $16.75+ per night for camping
Address: Jasper National Park, Jasper, AB
Why You Need To Go: Jasper National Park was designated a dark-sky preserve in 2011, and you can witness the clear open skies here 365 days a year.
The park is actually the second-largest dark sky preserve in the world at over 11,000 square kilometres.
If you're looking to stargaze, catch the Milky Way or see the northern lights, Pyramid Island, Maligne Lake, Old Fort Point and the toe of Athabasca Glacier are four sites in the park that can be accessed year-round for dark-sky viewing.
There are also a number of campgrounds around the park where you can sleep under the stars, including Pocahontas, Wilcox and the Icefield Campgrounds along the Icefields Parkway.
Accessibility: See park's accessible services.
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Price: $8.50 per adult, $12.75+ per person, per night for camping
Address: 469 Cyprus Lake Rd., Tobermory, ON
Why You Need To Go: Bruce Peninsula National Park offers some of the most breathtaking views of Ontario's landscape, but the real spectacle starts after sundown.
Found on the waters of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, in the night sky here, you can get incredible views of the cosmos, and even have the chance to catch an aurora.
There are two designated sky observing areas in the park, according to Destination Ontario; one near the facilities by Cyprus Lake, and the second a coastal site southwest of Highway 6 called Singing Sands.
Accessibility: Some accessible facilities located in the park.
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Price: $10.84+ per vehicle, $34.25+ for camping
Address: 96 Broadway Ave., Wawa, ON
Why You Need To Go: Lake Superior Provincial Park is another classic location for stargazing and viewing the northern lights in Ontario.
The park is recognized as a Dark Sky Preserve by the Astronomical Society of Canada and boasts some of the darkest skies in North America, with its low horizon creating a wide frame perfect for admiring the cosmos.
While you can take in the night sky with your naked eye, visitors who want a closer look can partake in nightly telescope viewings with the park's Sky-Watcher telescope at the Agawa Bay Beach.
The park has several campsites, with options for interior camping and backcountry camping.
Accessibility: All-terrain wheelchair available for use.
Wood Buffalo National Park
Price: $16.75+ per night for camping
Address: Wood Buffalo National Park, AB
Why You Need To Go: Located in northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, Wood Buffalo National Park is the world’s largest Dark Sky Preserve.
According to Parks Canada, here, you'll able to see "the brightest stars and constellations you've ever seen," and will have the best chance to witness the northern lights.
While from May to July you'll find that the sun barely sets here, the colder months bring clear nights with some of the best viewing opportunities.
One of the best viewing spots in the park can be found at the Dark Sky Circle near the Pine Lake Rental Cabins. Here, you can lie back on the park's specially designed benches to take in a spectacular view of the night sky.
Accessibility: See more about access at the park for persons with disabilities.
Grasslands National Park
Price: $6.25 per adult for admission, $16.75+ per night for camping
Address: SK-4, Val Marie, SK
Why You Need To Go: The Grasslands National Park Dark Sky Preserve is one of the largest and darkest in Canada, and is said to be one of the best places to observe deep sky objects.
The national park in Saskatchewan was designated a dark-sky preserve in 2009 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
According to the RASC, the park is so dark that it allows for a "natural green sky-glow" to almost always be seen on the horizon, and it's not uncommon for stargazers in the park to notice that they have shadows on the ground cast by the stars and planets!
For viewing, Parks Canada recommends the Two Trees Trail, Frenchman Valley Campground, and Rock Creek Campground, which it says are great car-accessible stargazing locations.
Accessibility: Some accessible services, including visitor's centre and campgrounds.
Manitoulin Eco Park
Price: $10 per person
Address: 18777 ON-6, Tehkummah, ON
Why You Need To Go: Manitoulin Eco Park is an official Dark Sky Preserve offering 360-degree views of the night sky.
The park, which was formerly known as Gordon's Park, can be found in Tehkummah at the southeast corner of Manitoulin Island about 2 hours from Sudbury.
The park's dark skies are the perfect place to take in meteor showers, see planets and witness the northern lights.
The park offers Dark Sky Camping where visitors can get incredible views of the stars and planets. It makes for a great place to take in meteor showers, like the Perseids, which peak in summer, and see the Milky Way.
While you can camp at the park, you can also visit with a Night Pass, which is $10 per person and gets you access to the Dark Sky Observation Area from sunset until sunrise.
Point Pelee National Park
Price: $6.50 per adult, $128 per night for oTENTik camping*
Address: 1118 Point Pelee Dr., Leamington ON
Why You Need To Go: Most know Point Pelee National Park as the southernmost point of mainland Canada, but it's also a great place to take in the night sky.
Point Pelee National Park became a designated Dark Sky Preserve in 2006 by the Windsor Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, making it one of the best places in the country to see stars and planets in the night sky in all of Canada.
The park hosts Dark Sky Nights where it remains open until midnight, allowing visitors to explore the park after dark. If you'll be visiting on a Dark Sky Night, you can also pick up a chart of seasonal stars at the front gate so you know what to look for.
Visitors can bring their own binoculars or a telescope to take in the cosmos.
Kejimkujik National Park
Price: $6.25 per adult for admission, $27.25+ per night for camping.
Address: 3005 Kejimkujik Main Pkwy., Maitland Bridge, NS
Why You Need To Go: Located in Nova Scotia about halfway between the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean, Kejimkujik National Park is the province's only dark-sky preserve.
Here, you can see the brightest stars in the province and gaze at celestial bodies. According to the RASC, the focal point of the park's dark-sky activities is the Sky Circle, a central concrete pad within walking distance of the park's campgrounds that's surrounded by seating for public programs.
The park is open year-round, with the colder months offering clear skies for gazing at the cosmos. To discover them for yourself, you can rent a Dark Sky Kit from the park with everything you need, including binoculars, a star finder, and a red light.
*This article has been updated.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.
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