Keweenaw Dark Sky Park
- How dark?
- Exceptional darkness · Milky Way obvious
- Food & town
- Laurium · about 30 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2022
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough that the Milky Way is obvious the moment you look up, with no town glow worth mentioning on any horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 1–2, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 5–13.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5–13 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | None · darkest skies | 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 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 1–9 | Crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 30–Apr 7 | Crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 29–May 7 | Crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| May 29–Jun 7 | Crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jun 30–Jul 10 | Crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 8 | Mostly none · crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 6 | Crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars |
| Sep 27–Oct 4 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Late Mar to late Aug. Out of season until late Mar. In season now, through late Aug. Out of season until early Apr.
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 (none · darkest skies)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 Keweenaw.
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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Food, fuel, and supplies
Laurium, MI is about 30 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Pat's Foods), 4 gas stations, and 5 places to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: Copper Harbor Fuel Stop, about 1 mi away in Copper Harbor, MI. Nearest places to eat on the map: Tamarack Restaurant (about 1 mi, in Copper Harbor, MI), Lake Effect Bar & Grill (about 1 mi, in Copper Harbor, MI), and Harbor Haus (about 1 mi).
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) · darkness: Bortle 1–2, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Keweenaw
No other dark sky place on this site is within 150 miles of Keweenaw. The closest is Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, about 159 mi west in Minnesota. Or browse every place by state.