Dark sky parks in North Carolina
Three certified places protect North Carolina's night, with 9 stays listed nearby.
At a glance
- Darkest
- Cape Lookout National SeashoreDark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down. Bortle 4, an estimate.
- Next moonless nights
- Nov 6–12
- Dec 5–11
- Jan 3–9
- Feb 2–8
- Mar 3–9
- Apr 2–8Dark at all three parks on these nights. Each park's own dates are in the table.
- May 2–7
- Jun 1–6
- Jul 1–6
- Jul 31–Aug 5
- Aug 29–Sep 4
- Sep 27–Oct 3
- Stays nearby
- 9 listedThree near each park.
- Milky Way core season
- Early Feb to late OctLongest at Cape Lookout National Seashore; shortest at Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory, mid Feb to mid Oct.
Compare the 3 parks
Sorted darkest first; places with the same rating are A to Z. The numbers match the map.
| Number | Place | How dark | Nearest town | Stays | Next moonless nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Lookout National Seashore | DarkMilky Way overhead, hazy lower downBortle 4 · estimate | Beaufortabout 10 mi | 3 stays | Nov 6–12Dec 5–11Jan 3–9Feb 2–8Mar 3–9Apr 2–8May 2–7Jun 1–6Jul 1–6Jul 31–Aug 5Aug 29–Sep 4Sep 27–Oct 3 |
| 2 | Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory | Some light pollutionConstellations, not much Milky WayBortle 5–6 · estimate | Spruce Pineabout 6 mi | 3 stays | Nov 6–12Dec 5–11Jan 3–9Feb 2–8Mar 3–9Apr 1–8May 2–7Jun 1–6Jul 1–6Jul 31–Aug 5Aug 29–Sep 4Sep 27–Oct 3 |
| 3 | Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute | Some light pollutionConstellations, not much Milky WayBortle 5–6 · estimate | Rosmanabout 5 mi | 3 stays | Nov 6–12Dec 5–11Jan 3–9Feb 2–8Mar 3–9Apr 1–8May 2–7Jun 1–6Jul 1–6Jul 31–Aug 5Aug 29–Sep 4Sep 27–Oct 3 |
Darkness ratings are estimates from satellite data unless marked measured (how we rate darkness). Moonless nights are computed for each place's coordinates; weather isn't included (how). A town has at least 250 people and a grocery store on the map; distances are straight lines, so the drive is longer (how). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.