Stunning skies: Here are the top 10 national parks for stargazing

America’s national parks are a treasure to visit during the day, but can have another purpose at night: stargazing.

In fact, many national parks are International Dark Sky Parks, which is a certification given to places around the world that protect natural sites from light pollution.

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These sites allow humans to gaze up at the wonders of the night sky all while preserving their natural beauty.

Recently, experts at Outforia have compiled a list of the best national parks with the Dark Sky certification to stargaze at.

Coming in at the 10th spot is Capitol Reef National Park, located in a "wrinkle in the Earth’s crust" known as the Waterpocket Fold of southern Utah.

Filled with cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges, this national park provides the perfect carving on the Earth’s surface to look up at the stars with no intrusions.

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Combined with two-thirds of nights being clear, this unique place will provide a perfect viewpoint of the stars.

Another viewing spot also located in southern Utah is Canyonlands National Park. The desert landscape of this location, along with the buttes, spires and canyons, provide the perfect level of darkness for any avid stargazer.

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This location also has similar cloud cover and is relatively close to our 10th spot, making them the perfect pair for some back-to-back stargazing.

Moving east to Texas, there is Big Bend National Park, located on the shores of the Rio Grande River.

Located in the Chihuahuan desert, this spot is one of the least light polluted national parks in the United States, making it a perfect place to stargaze.

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Whether you are in a valley between the mountains or on a desert plain just off a trail, you will find the perfect place to view the stars.

Back out west, Petrified Forest National Park is a great place to take in the scenery and stargaze.

Tucked in the grasslands and badlands of eastern Arizona, this national park has very low light pollution, making it a gem of a spot to go stargazing.

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It is also rich in history, with ancient fossils, Puebloan sites and vivid petrified wood scattered around the national park, making it an awesome place to both explore and stargaze from.

One of the most iconic national parks in the country, Grand Canyon National Park, located in northern Arizona, is also well known for its stargazing opportunities.

With the large area of darkness above the canyon, the park makes for a great view on both the north and south rims of the park.

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Additionally, an annual star party is hosted at the park every summer, where stargazing enthusiasts can learn more about the stars above while sharing telescopes with fellow stargazers.

Located in the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado, this national park and preserve is a desert located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Featuring the tallest sand dunes in North America, stargazers here benefit from the higher elevation combined with the desert skies.

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While this has the least clear nights than any of the other parks discussed on this list, it is still a breathtaking place to watch the stars from.

Heading down the Rockies to New Mexico, the next park on the list is Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Filled with historic Pueblo great houses and artifacts, this park is an important cultural site located under beautiful desert skies.

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This makes the park the perfect place for anyone stargazing to come learn about history before they take a look up at the stars.

Back in Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park is best known for its "ampitheater," which is the bowl-shaped basin containing the highest concentration of irregular rock spires called "hoodoos."

The park is also known for its super dark skies, and combined with the geological marvels of the rocks, this park is a great place to find a spot and take some pictures of the sky.

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In fact, this park was given the designation by Outforia of being the best national park to see the Milky Way from, a dazzling celestial site for anyone to see.

Located towards the southeast corner of Utah is National Bridges National Monument, which contains three grand natural bridges.

This was the first certified International Dark Sky Park, which, like many other parks on this list, can be attributed to the desert sky that sits above the park.

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This park is perfect for any stargazers that want to see a glorious landscape and a stunning sky by night.

Coming in first place is Death Valley National Park, located in California. This park, which is a massive below-sea level basin, is where the hottest temperature was ever recorded on Earth, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

However, despite the extreme heat and striking name, the valley is home to much wildlife and foliage.

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Because it is so low compared to the surrounding terrain, it has some of the darkest skies of all national parks, and also ranks as first among national parks with the most number of clear nights.

If you love stargazing, Death Valley is a must-visit national park to watch the stars move across the night sky.

An honorable mention that did not make the list is Glacier National Park, located in Montana. While only ranking 19th on the list of the best national parks to stargaze at, this location was designated by Outforia as having the best odds of seeing an aurora due to its northern location.

This national park can provide an eye-catching experience in the night sky that some of the other parks cannot provide due to their southern locations.

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Be sure to check out one of these top 10 locations to stargaze this summer, watching the stars dance across the night sky among some of America’s most majestic lands.