Park · CA, US
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park in California became an International Dark Sky Park in 2013, the third in the national park system. The Racetrack area is very dark but needs a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and Badwater Basin is a good place to watch Orion. Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells have shielded lighting; the park urges visitors to stay out after sunset, and its phone is 760-786-3200.
Official site (opens in new tab) View on OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab) Source (opens in new tab)
| Type | Park |
| State / Province | CA |
| Country | United States |
| Nearest town | Furnace Creek |
| Certified | 2013 |
| Coordinates | 36.4702, -117.0884 |
| Source | https://darksky.org/places/death-valley-national-park-dark-sky-park/ (opens in new tab) |
Plan Your Night
Tonight’s moon
New Moon
1% illuminated. Rises 5:56 AM PST. Sets 4:14 PM PST. Times are local to the park.
Next new moon
November 9, 2026
The darkest, best-for-stargazing night in the current lunar cycle. See the full trip planner for the next 12 months of new-moon windows.
Upcoming meteor showers
- Leonids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, November 17, 2026
- Geminids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, December 13, 2026
- Ursids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, December 22, 2026
5 nearest dark sky places
- Joshua Tree National Park · 304 km (189 mi)
- Under Canvas Yosemite · 305 km (189 mi)
- Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument · 312 km (194 mi)
- Snow Canyon State Park · 318 km (197 mi)
- Borrego Springs, California · 364 km (226 mi)