Where And When to Get the Best Photos of the Milky Way

3. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

JAMIE CARTER
Although not officially designated for its dark skies, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah has been holding astronomy talks and hosting gatherings of amateur astronomers at its Visitors Center for decades. Its Astronomy & Night Sky Programs, and especially its Astronomy Rangers, are as legendary as its hoodoos.

4. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Astrophotography is all about composition, and what better foreground for a Milky Way image that the Bristlecone pine groves of Nevada’s remote Great Basin National Park? It’s designated as an International Dark Sky Park, with key stargazing locations including the Baker Archaeological Site, Ranch Interpretive Site and Mather Overlook on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive.