I'm not sure what the difference is between a dark sky park and a dark sky preserve, but there are plenty of the former. As the article notes, there are already many International Dark Sky Parks, with nearly 40 in the U.S. Here's a list: http://www.darksky.org/idsp/parks/
I've been to the Headlands park in Michigan; it's a beautiful location on the north-west corner of the lower peninsula, right on the lakeshore. The guest house is actually shockingly cheap ($300) for a beach-front rental space; you'd be hard-pressed to find an AirBNB with similar features for less - it would make a great company retreat for 10-20 people.
I believe the difference between park and preserve/reserve is a park is an area typically not populated with laws protecting from light pollution while a preserve/reserve is an area that is populated with city/state laws protecting from light pollution. source- amateur astronomer who frequently visits star parties and interacts with IDA members
"The Dark Sky Places program offers five types of designations:
...
International Dark Sky Parks
Parks are publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors.
International Dark Sky Reserves
Reserves consist of a dark 'core' zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core."
In case anybody else is wondering, here's the key for the letters on the map:
C = Communities
P = Parks
R = Reserves
S = Sanctuaries
D = Developments of Distinction
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International Dark Sky Communities
Communities are legally organized cities and towns that adopt quality outdoor lighting ordinances and undertake efforts to educate residents about the importance of dark skies.
International Dark Sky Parks
Parks are publicly- or privately-owned spaces protected for natural conservation that implement good outdoor lighting and provide dark sky programs for visitors.
International Dark Sky Reserves
Reserves consist of a dark “core” zone surrounded by a populated periphery where policy controls are enacted to protect the darkness of the core.
International Dark Sky Sanctuaries
Sanctuaries are the most remote (and often darkest) places in the world whose conservation state is most fragile.
Dark Sky Developments of Distinction
Developments of Distinction recognize subdivisions, master planned communities, and unincorporated neighborhoods and townships whose planning actively promotes a more natural night sky but does not qualify them for the International Dark Sky Community designation.
Growing up in rural Australia, I know about this all to well.
We would often host Japanese exchange students and communities elders. I have the distinct memory of one of the ~60 year old Japanese men spending night after night outside, staring at the sky.
Later it was explained - he had never seen stars in his life.
Question:
I live in San Francisco and I have recently become pretty obsessed with going to a place like this. I want to go somewhere extremely dark where I can see the sky in a form that's similar to what someone might have seen before the invention of electric lights.
Does anyone know a good place in America like that? Ideally it would have other good natural features to entertain me during the day.
I just can't help but thinking that looking up at the sky a thousand years ago must have been absolutely awe inspiring. A civilization without artificial light would look up and see a dazzling display of starlight. it's no wonder they all believed there was a supreme power above them.
This map provides a pretty good guide, and I've found it to be fairly accurate as to orders of magnitude even if its data is dated:
http://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html
To get truly dark skies you'll have to drive 5-6+ hours from SF. Much of the Sierras don't cut it anymore, and Mendocino NF gets lots of light pollution from the central valley, or too far north can have too much water vapor in the air.
Places I've been to within a 7-8 hour drive of SF with super-dark skies:
Central Nevada in the Humboldt-Toiyabe NF units (e.g., North Toiyabe Crest or Table Mountain), or pretty much any place in central Nevada.
Northern parts of Death Valley.
Warner Mountain range in Modoc County, CA.
Further afield:
Great Basin NP in Nevada.
Jarbidge Wilderness in Nevada.
South-central Utah (e.g., Capitol Reef NP).
Gila NF in SW New Mexico.
If you were to pick only one and don't mind a flight and a (super long) drive from Phoenix, Albuquerque or El Paso, Gila NF in New Mexico is the place to go. As I recall, driving along the northern fringe on route 59 I experienced probably the biggest lightless vista view I've seen in the lower 48 states, even compared to many wilderness areas in, say, Kings Canyon NP or elsewhere.
In addition to the ones in California that others have mentioned, several of our National Parks are very dark, even if not designated as such. Zion National Park in Utah is one. Grand Staircase Monument, also in Utah, as well. Recently went on a photo tour of those 2.
Note that it's getting to the end of the time of year when the Milky Way is at its most brilliant. From ~November through April, it's not as spectacular as ~May though October. And, as others have said, you want to do it when there's no moon (once every 28 days).
The light pollution overlay is the highest resolution I've seen outside more advanced tools, and it has clickable markers for registered dark sky locations, and more locations than any other map I've found as well.
Self-plug: I live under Bortle Class 1 sky in New Mexico. It's absolutely amazing! We are in the process of building a small cabin on our land that we plan to rent out starting in 2018 so we can share this experience with others. Keep an eye on http://darkskycabin.com ...
Awesome. It's hard to imagine that only a couple years ago we had dark skies everywhere. As an off and on hobby astronomer I'm very happy to see this trend of dark sky consciousness and preservation.
What's crazy to me is how few people have actually seen a proper dark sky.
I tell people about being able to see the milky way streak across the sky in the summer and they're shocked that I didn't need some sort of long exposure camera.
I went rock climbing in red river gorge a few years ago and was able to sleep outside and see the Milky Way. Definitely one of the most memorable experiences of my adult life. Then you drive back to civilization and realize how bad the light pollution is.
I want to second the RRG, KY as a great place to go see the stars. I would recommend you go to the lookout "cloud splitter" great views in all directions. There is also a back entrance to a "secret cave" you can climb through and explore. The cave ends at a big opening in the middle of the cliff and makes for a cool photo (You can see the cave opening at the 1:05 mark in the video). Only about 1.5-2 miles from trail head. Of yeah, and for the love of God please don't carve your name in the rocks! Just because countless assholes have been doing it for years does not make it ok.
The big 2003 blackout coincided with clear skies here in Toronto and was within a couple of days of the Mars close approach. I had trouble understanding why I was the only person I could see looking up. It was almost like Krikkit.
Born and raised in Idaho, and took the Milky Way and constellations for granted. When I was a kid, my dad and I used to pick out all 7 stars in the Pleiades (7 sisters).
Then I went to college in Illinois at UIUC from 95-99. On the best nights in the midwest, I could barely make out Jupiter, due to both smog and light pollution.
So I just want to throw in my vote that I hope this happens.
Also on a national level, I'd like to see a movement towards shrouded street lighting, since everything is being retrofitted for high efficiency and getting brighter. Like maybe we could have a process to report bright street lamps and prioritize them to get shrouded.
i wish cities would also issue black out dates to give residents a day of the year to see the sky. I live in south philadelphia, and the light pollution is so bad I can walk out unto my deck at midnight and read a book.
I was about to say exactly the same. America (North and South) is a continent. USA is the country. There are preserves like these in America, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasslands_National_Park. Not that far from the US border.
There are numerous telescopes and observatories in the general area for this reason; besides the more publicly known Clark Telescope as the main Lowell tourist site, there is an active research Lowell further out of town, as well as a major US Naval Observatory and the Discovery Channel Telescope. The local University there has one as well.
I've been to the Headlands park in Michigan; it's a beautiful location on the north-west corner of the lower peninsula, right on the lakeshore. The guest house is actually shockingly cheap ($300) for a beach-front rental space; you'd be hard-pressed to find an AirBNB with similar features for less - it would make a great company retreat for 10-20 people.