Dark Sky Places in PA

The following is a list of classified Dark Sky places in Pennsylvania. The list will be updated as more places are classified in PA. If you have discovered or know a place in PA that you would like us to consider and designate, please fill out a form at the bottom of this page here or contact us at darkskypa.org@gmail.com or fill out the contact form under "Contact Us". When assessing a place to recommend us, please use the Bortle Scale or Sky Quality Meter (SQM). These scales is key to assessing the accurate category the location falls under. For more information regarding Dark Sky location classification please refer here.

DarkSky International Dark Sky Park: Cherry Springs State Park

Recognized as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International in 2008, Cherry Springs State Park is an ideal destination for stargazers. Located in Potter County, Pennsylvania, the park is situated at 700 meters above sea level within the 106,000-hectare Susquehannock State Forest. It offers an unobstructed 360-degree view from its Astronomy Field. Open year-round, Cherry Springs provides optimal stargazing conditions on 60 to 85 nights annually. The park also hosts two major star parties each year, attracting several hundred astronomers for multi-night events.

Unofficial Dark Sky Places

Currently, Cherry Springs State Park is the only officially designated Dark Sky Park in Pennsylvania. However, there are many other unofficial Dark Sky locations throughout the state. Below is a list of parks along with their corresponding Bortle Scale ratings, sourced from Light Pollution Map App and Go Astronomy. Additional details about these locations can also be found by clicking on the Place name and by clicking on the MAP.

Place	Bortle Scale	MAP
Allegheny National Forest	3.9	MAP
Black Moshannon State Park	3.0	MAP
Cameron County Dark Sky Park		MAP
Chapman State Park	3.0	MAP
Clear Creek State Park	3.0	MAP
Cook Forest State Park	3.0	MAP
Elk State Park	3.0	MAP
French Creek State Park	5.4	MAP
Kinzua Bridge State Park	3.0	MAP
Laurel Hill State Park	4.5	MAP
Little Pine State Park	3.0	MAP
McCalls Dam State Park	3.0	MAP
Mount Pisgah State Park	3.0	MAP
Parker Dam State Park	3.0	MAP
Poe Paddy State Park	3.0	MAP
Poe Valley State Park	3.0	MAP
Raymond Winter State Park	3.0	MAP
Simon Elliot State Park	3.0	MAP
Sinnemahoning State Park	3.3	MAP
Sproul State Forest	3.5	MAP
Susquehannock State Forest	2	MAP
Trough Creek State Park	3.0	MAP
Upper Pine Bottom State Park	3.0	MAP
World's End State Park	3.0	MAP

Help Us List Other Dark Sky Locations:

Discover the beauty of night sky! If you have any recommendations for great stargazing locations or spots perfect for astronomy, we'd love to hear from you. Please share your suggestions by filling out the form, and help us create an amazing catalog of nighttime treasures!