Park service data shows the Oregon park to have more visible stars and less light pollution than other sites, such as Lassen and Nevada’s Great Basin national parks

By Lee Juillerat for Ashland.news

Crater Lake National Park, Southern Oregon’s major tourist attraction and a popular destination for people living in the Rogue Valley, is best known for its incredibly cerulean color and clarity. It’s also the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world.

But the park has a new honor. Crater Lake has been named the nation’s best national park for stargazing.

Crater Lake topped the national list with an index score of 100 out a 100 in a study conducted by the vacation rental site, Lake.com. The rating was based on data from the National Park Service’s Night Sky Collection Site, which scored every national park out of 100 points based on the average percentage of stars visible and the average median light pollution. Crater Lake’s park records indicate that 98.6% of stars are visible on average across four data collection sites with an average light pollution ratio of just 0.03.

“National parks are wonderful places for viewing the night sky,” Marsha McCabe, Crater Lake’s chief of interpretation, said of the designation. “At Crater Lake we are excited to share excellent stargazing opportunities and we will continue to preserve this important resource.”

Night sky programs

During the summer the park offers night sky programs, which are expected to resume later this year. She said the programs, which begin with an orientation talk at the Rim Village Community House before viewing the night sky through telescopes, have proved extremely popular.

“They’ve been very well received,” McCabe said, adding that the Community House has been “just packed” with interested visitors.

The park held more than a dozen night sky programs last summer and, McCabe said, it hopes to increase the number of offerings this year. In addition, she said, the park hopes to complete certification as an International Dark Sky Places site.

Because Crater Lake’s caldera is so isolated, there is virtually no light pollution to compete with the night sky, which allows people to see millions of distant stars. The best stargazing at Crater Lake is on nights without clouds or a full moon.

Following Crater Lake as the second-best place for stargazing is Great Basin National Park in Nevada, with an index score of 88.58 out of 100. Great Basin is known for its size and diversity, offering visitors the chance to explore a range of natural features, including glaciation, rock formations, caves and bristlecone pine groves. The park records that 97.8% of stars are visible on average across its five data collection sites, and it has an average light pollution ratio of 0.04. 

Lassen park ranks 10th

Placing 10th is Lassen Volcanic National Park with an index score of 69.58 out of 100. Lassen, located in far Northern California, features clear mountain lakes and volcanoes. At Lassen, 97.2% of stars are visible across three sites, and there is an average median light pollution ratio of 0.05. 

Speaking on the findings, David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com said, “Exploring which national parks and recreation areas are best for stargazing highlights the balance between preserving natural beauty and managing human impact. The study of these stargazing locations reveals how geographical factors work together to create ideal conditions for observing stars. As the psalmist said, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.’ Psalm 19:1 ESV. 

“Through stargazing,” Ciccarelli said, “visitors not only witness the splendor of creation but also gain a deeper understanding of our role in stewarding the natural world.” 

Canyonlands, Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef

Other parks in the top five include Canyonlands National Park, Utah, third with an index score of 88.52; Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, ranking fourth, with an index score of 84.72; and Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, with an index score of 76.32.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, ranks sixth, with an index score of 74.81; Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, is seventh, 72.04; eighth is Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii, with an 72.01; Arches National Park, Utah, ninth, 71.40; and Lassen Volcanic National Park rounding out the top 10.

The source for the rankings is National Park Service: Night Sky Data Collection Sites.

Data was taken from the National Park Service’s Night Sky Data Collection Sites, which showed the percentage of visible stars as well as the median light pollution ratio for different national parks. Where national parks had multiple data collection sites, an average was calculated for each of those factors. Each national park was given a score out of 100 based on the percentage of visible stars and the median light pollution ratio. The highest scoring parks were deemed the best for stargazing.

Email freelance writer Lee Juillerat at [email protected].