The Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina have officially been named the best stargazing location in America, according to a newly released report from WeGoDating.
The site analyzed stargazing spots across the country based on visibility, accessibility, and visitor experience. They used multiple data sources to compile the rankings, including light pollution levels, weather patterns, elevation, and public accessibility, as well as sky clarity ratings using the Bortle Scale and gathered popularity metrics from Google Reviews and National Park visitation records.
North Carolina stood out with several high-ranking locations besides the number 1 spot, including:
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Outer Banks – praised for unobstructed coastal horizons and seasonal meteor showers.
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Blue Ridge Parkway – known for its high-altitude overlooks and panoramic sky views.
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Appalachian State University Dark Sky Observatory – a research-focused site with public viewing nights.
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Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) – a historic observatory now used for public education and skywatching events.
Top 100 Stargazing Spots in America
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | North Carolina | Cherokee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Queen Wilhelmina State Park | Arkansas | Mena |
| 3 | Badlands National Park | South Dakota | Interior |
| 4 | Custer State Park | South Dakota | Custer |
| 5 | Outer Banks | North Carolina | Manteo |
| 6 | Sawtooth National Recreation Area | Idaho | Ketchum |
| 7 | Blue Ridge Parkway | North Carolina | Asheville |
| 8 | Appalachian State Univ. Dark Sky Observatory | North Carolina | Boone |
| 9 | Cedar Pass Campground (Badlands NP) | South Dakota | Kadoka |
| 10 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Tennessee | Sevierville |
| 11 | San Angelo State Park | Texas | San Angelo |
| 12 | Lake Ouachita State Park | Arkansas | Hot Springs |
| 13 | Sun Valley Lake | Idaho | Sun Valley |
| 14 | Carlsbad Caverns National Park | New Mexico | Carlsbad |
| 15 | Dark Sky Observatory | North Carolina | Deep Gap |
| 16 | Carolina Beach State Park | North Carolina | Wilmington |
| 17 | Fall Creek Falls State Park | Tennessee | Crossville |
| 18 | Knob Hill | Idaho | Ketchum |
| 19 | Redfish Lake | Idaho | Stanley |
| 20 | Fort Fisher State Historic Site | North Carolina | Wilmington |
| 21 | Theodore Roosevelt National Park | North Dakota | Medora |
| 22 | Hunting Island State Park | South Carolina | Charleston |
| 23 | Mount Rushmore National Memorial | South Dakota | Keystone |
| 24 | Palo Duro Canyon State Park | Texas | Amarillo |
| 25 | Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) | North Carolina | Rosman |
| 26 | New Hanover County Arboretum | North Carolina | Wilmington |
| 27 | Wildwood Park | Pennsylvania | Harrisburg |
| 28 | Edisto Beach State Park | South Carolina | Charleston |
| 29 | Congaree National Park | South Carolina | Columbia |
| 30 | Savannah National Wildlife Refuge | South Carolina | Ridgeland |
| 31 | Journey Museum & Learning Center | South Dakota | Rapid City |
| 32 | Ober Gatlinburg | Tennessee | Gatlinburg |
| 33 | Government Canyon State Natural Area | Texas | San Antonio |
| 34 | Headlands International Dark Sky Park | Michigan | Mackinaw City |
| 35 | Harriman State Park | New York | Harriman |
| 36 | Cornell University – Fuertes Observatory | New York | Ithaca |
| 37 | Morehead Planetarium & Science Center | North Carolina | Durham |
| 38 | Pilot Mountain State Park | North Carolina | Mount Airy |
| 39 | Mount Washington | Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| 40 | Myrtle Beach State Park | South Carolina | Myrtle Beach |
| 41 | Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park | Tennessee | Memphis |
| 42 | Ijams Nature Center | Tennessee | Knoxville |
| 43 | Warner Parks | Tennessee | Nashville |
| 44 | Oliver Lee Memorial State Park | New Mexico | Alamogordo |
| 45 | Coker Arboretum | North Carolina | Chapel Hill |
| 46 | NC Museum of Natural Sciences | North Carolina | Raleigh |
| 47 | Block Island Conservancy | Rhode Island | Block Island |
| 48 | Beavertail State Park | Rhode Island | Narragansett |
| 49 | Givhans Ferry State Park | South Carolina | Summerville |
| 50 | Coastal Discovery Museum | South Carolina | Hilton Head |
| 51 | Augustana University’s Elmen Science Center | South Dakota | Sioux Falls |
| 52 | Lookout Mountain Park | South Dakota | Spearfish |
| 53 | Pickett CCC Memorial State Park | Tennessee | Jamestown |
| 54 | Watts Bar Lake | Tennessee | Kingston |
| 55 | McKinney Falls State Park | Texas | Austin |
| 56 | Cedar Hill State Park | Texas | Dallas |
| 57 | Lake Nasworthy | Texas | San Angelo |
| 58 | Lake Tanglewood | Texas | Amarillo |
| 59 | Crane Observatory | Kansas | Topeka |
| 60 | Cosmic Campground International Dark Sky Sanctuary | New Mexico | Glenwood |
| 61 | Capulín Volcano National Monument | New Mexico | Capulín |
| 62 | Kopernik Observatory & Science Center | New York | Vestal |
| 63 | Three College Observatory | North Carolina | Snow Camp |
| 64 | Bare Dark Sky Observatory | North Carolina | Burnsville |
| 65 | Cleveland Metroparks – North Chagrin Reservation | Ohio | Cleveland |
| 66 | Fels Planetarium at the Franklin Institute | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia |
| 67 | Lehigh University – Rauch Planetarium | Pennsylvania | Bethlehem |
| 68 | Lehigh Valley – Hugh Moore Park | Pennsylvania | Allentown |
| 69 | Kiawah Island Observatory | South Carolina | Charleston |
| 70 | Hampton Plantation State Historic Site | South Carolina | McClellanville |
| 71 | Lake Marion State Park | South Carolina | Sumter |
| 72 | Spirit Mound Historic Prairie | South Dakota | Vermillion |
| 73 | Fort Southwest Point State Park | Tennessee | Kingston |
| 74 | Burgess Falls State Park | Tennessee | Cookeville |
| 75 | Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | Texas | Fredericksburg |
| 76 | Boise National Forest | Idaho | Boise |
| 77 | Cosmosphere | Kansas | Hutchinson |
| 78 | Highland Road Park Observatory | Louisiana | Baton Rouge |
| 79 | Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry | Michigan | Mackinaw City |
| 80 | Mill Creek Campground | Michigan | Mackinaw City |
| 81 | Chaco Culture National Historical Park | New Mexico | Nageezi |
| 82 | Allegany State Park | New York | Salamanca |
| 83 | Linville Gorge Wilderness Area | North Carolina | Linville |
| 84 | Portage Lakes State Park | Ohio | Akron |
| 85 | NASA Glenn Research Center | Ohio | Cleveland |
| 86 | Hocking Hills State Park | Ohio | Logan |
| 87 | Point Judith Lighthouse | Rhode Island | Narragansett |
| 88 | URI’s Planetarium | Rhode Island | South Kingstown |
| 89 | Watch Hill Lighthouse | Rhode Island | Westerly |
| 90 | Oahe Downstream Recreation Area | South Dakota | Pierre |
| 91 | Mount Roosevelt | South Dakota | Deadwood |
| 92 | Snake Creek Recreation Area | South Dakota | Chamberlain |
| 93 | Clarence T. Jones Observatory | Tennessee | Chattanooga |
| 94 | Liberty Park and Marina | Tennessee | Clarksville |
| 95 | Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge | Virginia | Virginia Beach |
| 96 | Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming | Yellowstone NP |
| 97 | Bruneau Dunes Observatory | Idaho | Boise |
| 98 | Kirkwood Observatory | Indiana | Bloomington |
| 99 | Panther Creek Park | Kentucky | Owensboro |
| 100 | Ralph A. Worley Observatory | Louisiana | Shreveport |
