An unforgettable night sky – with a tinge of color from the Northern Lights – stretches over Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. America’s national parks hold some of the last remaining harbors of darkness where visitors can enjoy the splendor of these protected dark skies. Photographer Matthew Newman says his nighttime adventure forever changed the way he experiences nature: “Making a seven-mile snowshoe hike round trip in the middle of the night to try and capture the Aurora Borealis and Milky Way from this location was amazing.” Photo by Matthew Newman. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 1/15/17.
Arches National Park in Utah is the perfect place to snuggle into your sleeping bag and spend the night counting stars. Towering rock formations reach for the Milky Way as the magnificent landscape surrounds you in silence. Photo by Allen Utzig. Posted on Tumblr by the US Department of the Interior, 11/26/16.
It doesn’t get any more beautiful than this: the Milky Way as seen from Observation Point in Utah’s Zion National Park. Photo by Joshua Snow. Tweeted by the US Department of the Interior, 12/9/16.