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  3. The Best Stargazing Spots in the South

The Best Stargazing Spots in the South

Southern Living May 2021 Cover
By Southern Living Editors October 28, 2021
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Calhoun
Credit: Thomas DeGrange/Getty Images

In so many areas around the globe, light pollution encroaches, making dark skies a shrinking resource. Where there is increased illumination from artificial light sources, you'll find it more difficult to see the stars, even on clear nights. However, there are still some places around the South where you can find dark skies far from the lights of cities, houses, and roadways filled with traffic. We've gathered a few of the best stargazing spots in the South in this list. Many of them are National Parks and are also designated International Dark Sky Parks by the International Dark-Sky Association. Set out to see the stars, and in the darkest areas, you might just get a glimpse of the Milky Way—or, if you're lucky, make out some of the most difficult-to-see constellations in space. Find maps online to aid in planning your visit; they update regularly and can help forecast clear conditions to reveal starry skies.

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Bare Dark Sky Observatory

North Carolina
Credit: Orchidpoet/Getty Images

Burnsville, North Carolina

This six-acre site within a nature preserve was named an International Dark Sky Park—the first of its kind in the southeast—and is surrounded by picturesque mountains.  

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Bienville National Forest

Bienville
Credit: Alisha Bube/Getty Images

Lake, Mississippi

Located in Mississippi, this national forest is made up of 178,000 acres of public land where activities like hiking and picnicking are as popular as stargazing.  

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Big Bend National Park

Big Bend
Credit: Rebecca L. Latson/Getty Images

Terlingua, Texas

Located along the Rio Grande River, this national park was named an International Dark Sky Park because it's one of the largest, most remote, and least populated in the country. This combination of factors makes the dark skies above the park a great place to see the stars.

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Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress
Credit: JillGehring/Getty Images

Ochopee, Florida

According to the Florida National Parks Association, "Big Cypress National Preserve has one of the last protected night skies where visitors can still enjoy the splendor of the Milky Way and see a night-sky strewn with thousands of stars with only the naked eye."

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Blue Ridge Parkway

Blue Ridge
Credit: Robert Loe/Getty Images

North Carolina

A drive along the North Carolina section of the parkway opens up to panoramic views. Stop at Craggy Dome Overlook at Milepost 364.1, Mills Valley Overlook at Milepost 404.5, or Graveyard Fields at Milepost 418.8 to get started. Keep an eye out—if you time your trip right, you just might see a meteor shower.

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Buffalo National River

Buffalo National River
Credit: benjaminjk/Getty Images

St Joe, Arkansas

The Buffalo National River is nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, and between its bluffs and forests it offers stellar views of the night skies.

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Calhoun County Park

Calhoun
Credit: Thomas DeGrange/Getty Images

Grantsville, West Virginia

West Virginia's Calhoun County Park is designated as a Dark Skies Park, and it's a destination for annual dark skies parties as well as being a favorite spot for amateur stargazers to set up telescopes.

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Conecuh National Forest

Conecuh
Credit: Christianto Soning/EyeEm/Getty Images

Andalusia, Alabama

This spot near Andalusia has long been a favorite place for Alabama star-spotters. On clear nights when the conditions are right, you might be able to see the Milky Way as well as the M33 and M31 galaxies.

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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Credit: Carlos Fernandez/Getty Images

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

While lights from nearby cities do leak into some areas of the park, there are still plenty of places to go stargazing in the Smoky Mountains. Set out for overlooks, peaks, and scenic vistas in more remote areas to find the best night views.

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James River State Park

Louisiana
Credit: Yuriy_Kulik/Getty Images

Gladstone, Virginia

Located in the center of Virginia, James River State Park is a hub for stargazing. Local astronomy programs frequent the area to see the skies and invite visitors in for events with high-powered telescopes and guides.

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Kisatchie National Forest

James River
Credit: Larry Mccormick/EyeEm/Getty Images

Glenmora, Louisiana

Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest has areas that are so dark, you can see the Milky Way swirl in the sky above. There are few truly dark skies left in the world, but this is a good one for seeing the stars.

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Ocracoke Island

Ocracoke
Credit: chuchart/Getty Images

Ocracoke, North Carolina

Make your way to the Outer Banks to stargaze with a background soundtrack of ocean waves. Hit the beaches on Ocracoke Island for an ideal place to see the night skies.

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Pickett CCC State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area

Pickett
Credit: Alisha Bube/Getty Images

Jamestown, Tennessee

One of Tennessee's best stargazing destinations is in Jamestown's Pickett CCC State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area, where visitors flock to see the constellations when the sun goes down.

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Staunton River State Park

Staunton
Credit: Bryan Dinello/500px/Getty Images

Scottsburg, Virginia

If you want to see the stars in Virginia, you can find few better spots than Staunton River State Park in Scottsburg, which has policies in place to minimize light pollution and has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association.

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Stephen C Foster State Park

Stephen C Foster State Park
Credit: Jacqueline Nix/Getty Images

Fargo, Georgia

Another International Dark Sky Park, Georgia's Stephen C Foster State Park is located in the Okefenokee Swamp area and opens up to unparalleled views of the starry skies.

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    1 of 15 Bare Dark Sky Observatory
    2 of 15 Bienville National Forest
    3 of 15 Big Bend National Park
    4 of 15 Big Cypress National Preserve
    5 of 15 Blue Ridge Parkway
    6 of 15 Buffalo National River
    7 of 15 Calhoun County Park
    8 of 15 Conecuh National Forest
    9 of 15 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
    10 of 15 James River State Park
    11 of 15 Kisatchie National Forest
    12 of 15 Ocracoke Island
    13 of 15 Pickett CCC State Park and Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area
    14 of 15 Staunton River State Park
    15 of 15 Stephen C Foster State Park

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