Urban · IL, US
Palos Preserves
Palos Preserves, a 6,662-acre forest preserve network in southwest Cook County, Illinois, was named an Urban Night Sky Place in 2021. Palos locations close at sunset, so the practical ways to see its sky are an astronomy program from the Forest Preserves of Cook County or a camping stay at Camp Bullfrog Lake. Adler Planetarium measured about four times as many visible stars here as over Chicago.
Official site (opens in new tab) View on OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab) Source (opens in new tab)
| Type | Urban |
| State / Province | IL |
| Country | United States |
| Nearest town | Willow Springs |
| Certified | 2021 |
| Coordinates | 41.6790, -87.8437 |
| Source | https://darksky.org/places/palos-preserves-urban-night-sky-place/ (opens in new tab) |
Plan Your Night
Tonight’s moon
Waning Crescent
1% illuminated. Rises 4:59 AM CST. Sets 3:35 PM CST. 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
- Homer Glen, Illinois · 12 km (7 mi)
- Hawthorn Woods, Illinois · 62 km (39 mi)
- Beverly Shores, Indiana · 72 km (45 mi)
- Middle Fork River Forest Preserve · 145 km (90 mi)
- Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park · 171 km (106 mi)