Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
1 stay nearby →Big Cypress National Preserve, a Dark Sky Park
A South Florida preserve between the developed coasts, with one of the darkest night skies in the eastern United States and free winter astronomy nights.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Entry
- Free
- Food & town
- Ave Maria · about 35 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2016
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 6–11.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–11 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 4–9 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| Mar 4–9 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 2–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| May 2–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–5 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–5 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 31–Aug 4 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core, and extra shooting stars (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 3 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 2 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Early Feb to late Oct. In season now, through late Oct. Out of season until early Feb. In season now, through late 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 Big Cypress National Preserve.
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
Big Cypress lies in South Florida, away from the cities of both coasts, and it keeps one of the darkest night skies in the eastern United States. On a clear night you can see the Milky Way and thousands of stars with your eyes alone. When it was designated in 2016, it became the first National Park Service unit east of Colorado to earn dark sky recognition. To get there, staff wrote outdoor lighting guidelines and retrofitted hundreds of light fixtures.
The best way in for a first visit is a ranger program. Each winter, once a month from December through March, rangers and local astronomy groups hold free night sky programs at the south end of Seagrape Drive by the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center on the Tamiami Trail. Expect a constellation tour and telescope views of stars, clusters, planets, nebulae, and galaxies, weather permitting. If the weather turns, the program moves indoors to the visitor center auditorium, which seats 75.
There's no outdoor seating, so bring a lawn chair or blanket. Only red flashlights are allowed, and pets should stay home. You're welcome to bring your own binoculars or telescope.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Ave Maria, FL is about 35 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Publix), 1 gas station, and 10 places to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: Marathon, about 20 mi away. Nearest places to eat on the map: Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe (about 15 mi), Subway (about 20 mi), and Dunkin' (about 20 mi). Nights can be cool and mosquitoes may be out, so bring long pants, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket, and bug spray.
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 Big Cypress National Preserve
For a trip with more than one dark night: the only other place within 150 miles. The distance is straight-line, not driving.
Dark Sky Park