TUCSON, Ariz. – The International Dark Sky Association, which recognizes ideal star-gazing places and works to preserve them as low-light emission sites, bestowed Voyageurs National Park on the Minnesota-Ontario border as an International Dark Sky Park. Voyageurs joins a list of more than 80 places around the world that have been recognized by the association for pitch-black skies.

Verbatim

Travel writer Meena Thiruvengadam: “You may not have to go far to catch a glimpse of the gorgeous Milky Way or majestic northern lights if you’re in the Midwest. Minnesota is emerging as one of the best places in the U.S. to lean into pitch-black skies and take in the stars — and, if you’re lucky, the northern lights too. You might just need access to a boat. Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, a 218,000-acre oasis mostly on water just south of the Canadian border.