Buffalo National River Dark Sky Park
A free-flowing river and Arkansas's first International Dark Sky Park, with summer ranger night programs at Buffalo Point and Tyler Bend.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Entry
- Free
- Food & town
- Marshall · about 8 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2019
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way overhead on a clear night, though glow from nearby towns washes out the sky near the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 4, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 6–12.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–12 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and a meteor shower peak (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 1–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| May 2–7 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–6 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 5 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 4 | Crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 3 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Mid Feb to mid Oct. Out of season until mid Feb. In season now, through mid Oct.
Meteor showers ahead: Leonids on Nov 17–18 (half moon, sets around midnight), Geminids on Dec 13–14 (thin crescent, sets early), Ursids on Dec 22–23 (full moon, up all night), and Quadrantids on Jan 3–4 (thin crescent, rises late)Lyrids on Apr 22–23 (bright moon for most of the night)Eta Aquariids on May 5–6 (none · darkest skies)Southern Delta Aquariids on Jul 30–31 (thin crescent, rises late)Perseids on Aug 12–13 (bright moon for most of the night).
Email me before the next dark window at Buffalo National River.
About one email a month, a few days before the moon goes dark: the dates here, the moonlight, and what's worth staying up for. Unsubscribe in one click.
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What it's like
Buffalo National River became the first International Dark Sky Park in Arkansas in 2019. The park describes itself as wilderness just outside the reach of modern life, and that holds after dark as well as by day: forest and free-flowing water under a naturally dark sky.
If you've been here before, you may notice the lighting has changed. Restroom lights now switch on with motion, bulbs have been dimmed and swapped for amber ones that are kinder to your night vision, and the big fixtures on utility poles have been shielded or turned off where possible.
The easiest way in is a ranger program. In summer, rangers lead night sky programs at Buffalo Point and Tyler Bend, and the park runs others through the year; the park calendar lists them, or call the Buffalo Point Ranger Station. Summer evenings bring fireflies too, and the park points out that artificial light disrupts the flashing they use to find mates.
If you'd rather stay the night on your own, the park runs many campgrounds. Some have flush restrooms and water from mid-March to mid-November; the more primitive ones have vault toilets and no water, and first-come sites are paid in cash or check at self-pay stations.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Middle District (Tyler Bend): Marshall, AR, about 8 mi away, with groceries (Harps), 3 gas stations, and 3 places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Sonic, McDonald's, and Rock-N-Java.
Upper District (Jasper and Ponca): Harrison, AR, about 10 mi away, with groceries (Cash Saver 870, Hudsons, ALDI and 2 more), 3 gas stations, and 16 places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Marble Falls Restaurant, Subway, and Peggy Sue's Coffee.
Lower District (Buffalo Point): Marshall, AR, about 10 mi away, with groceries (Harps), 3 gas stations, and 3 places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Rock-N-Java, McDonald's, and Sonic.
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jun 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · entry fee from National Park Service (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 4, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Buffalo National River
No other dark sky place on this site is within 150 miles of Buffalo National River. The closest is Stacy Park, about 226 mi northeast in Missouri. Or browse every place by state.