Hey, who turned out the lights?
Scientists are finding correlations between true darkness and inner peace, with results ranging from improved mental clarity and mood to better sleep.
Darkness helps the body create melatonin while also regulating the sleep-wake cycle. This, combined with results from a 2019 study that indicated that even 20 minutes in the great outdoors can lower cortisol levels by 21 percent, has travelers asking themselves whether astrotourism could help improve overall wellness, too. It’s all part of a new vacation category: sleep tourism.
We’ve rounded up seven places where you can test the science yourself and find out whether gazing at the stars does improve your sleep.
Great Basin National Park(Courtesy of Travel Nevada)
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Great Basin National Park is a designated International Dark Sky Park with gold-tier status—the highest awarded—an honor bestowed on communities, parks, and protected areas globally that preserve and protect dark skies by limiting light pollution. With a population of just 16, according to the 2023 Census Bureau, the town of Baker, where the Nevada national park is located, is about as desolate as it gets. At Stargazer Inn, quaint rooms open up to a courtyard of chairs and firepits where you can gaze up at the Milky Way (a phenomenon one-third of people can no longer view due to artificial light pollution). The Astronomy Amphitheater and Mather Overlook are popular sites for stargazing inside the park. // Stargazer Inn, 115 Baker Ave. (Baker), stargazernevada.com
Truckee, California
Tucked against the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Truckee enjoys dark skies in large part because the natural rock formations block western light pollution from the Golden State’s bigger cities. Truckee’s high-altitude perch also helps, protecting it from the elements. Try a snowshoe star tour with Tahoe Adventure Company, where winter travelers start trekking at sunset and end with hot beverages and telescope views of the surrounding landscapes in Truckee or North Lake Tahoe. At Donner Lake, you’ll find a combination sensory experience featuring the hushed lullaby of the lapping waves against the public docks and the eerie still of the glowing night sky, most illuminated during a new moon. // Tahoe Adventure Company, 7010 N. Lake Blvd. (Tahoe Vista), tahoeadventurecompany.com
The Nevada Northern Railway's Great Basin Star Train(Courtesy of Travel Nevada)
Ely, Nevada
About a one-hour drive from Baker sits Ely, a slightly larger town with an affinity for cowboy culture and trains. The Nevada Northern Railway runs year-round, but its May through September Great Basin Star Train is all about reaching for the (dark) sky. The train takes the Valley Vista route above Steptoe Valley for the sunset before plunging into darkness at Star Flat, a remote desert with limited light pollution. Don’t know what you’re looking for? Experts are on hand to guide you, using telescopes and red lights to discover planets, galaxies, the Milky Way, and more. (Pro tip: Keep an eye out for Champagne Train offerings if you enjoy a side of bubbles with your night sky.) // Nevada Northern Railway, 1100 Ave. A (Ely), nnry.com
Tonopah, Nevada
USA Today once named Tonopah the number-one Stargazing Destination in America, with thousands of celestial bodies and constellations visible on a clear night. While any night is a good one to explore Tonopah Stargazing Park—a secluded area off the main stretch outfitted with concrete pads that hosts monthly, guided stargazing nights from June through October—experts prefer to venture to the Nevadan desert town on moonless nights for one of the best views of the Milky Way in the lower 48. // Tonopah Stargazing Park, Ray Tennant Way (Tonopah), tonopahnevada.com
The stars at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley(Courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection)
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park was awarded Gold-Tier Dark Sky Park status for its inky black night skies and monitored light pollution. In the winter, longer stretches of darkness provide the best stargazing, and with a notoriously warm climate, you won’t be chased off by the cold. Within the national park, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Badwater Basin, and Harmony Borax Works are great choices for gazing. On select nights, especially in winter and spring, rangers host astronomy programs. For a more comfortable option, stay at The Inn at Death Valley, which boasts its own rooftop deck outfitted with cozy couches for canoodling under a blanket of stars. // The Inn at Death Valley, CA-190 (Death Valley), oasisatdeathvalley.com
Gerlach, Nevada
It’s Nevada’s remoteness that opens up the sky to such intense darkness. Gerlach, which sits less than two hours north of Reno, is considered by many to be the gateway to several dark-sky areas, including the surrounding Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area, Granite Mountain Reservoir, and Black Rock Desert. Within the Black Rock Desert, High Rock Canyon is one of the most popular spots to stop and stare.
The Observatory Retreat near Joshua Tree National Park(June Choi)
Joshua Tree National Park
The third International Dark Sky Park on this list, Joshua Tree National Park, is home to the Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center, a hands-on, nonprofit learning center open to the community and visitors. You’ll love the complimentary telescopes and Observatory Dome here, and there are frequent ranger-led stargazing happenings. If you decide to go it on your own, visit Pinto Basin Road, an oft-frequented pull-off that offers good nightly viewing. If you’re up for camping, book a spot at Cottonwood Campground within the park’s limits. For a more luxurious approach, reserve the nearby private stargazing dome dubbed Observatory Retreat, a three-bedroom, two-bath vacation rental with its own observatory on-site. // Sky’s The Limit Observatory & Nature Center, 9697 Utah Trail (Twentynine Palms), skysthelimit29.org; Observatory Retreat, 56923 Panchita Rd. (Yucca Valley), observatoryretreat.com
