Come March 14, 2025, a total lunar eclipse—or blood moon—will be visible to stargaze in Southern Utah. While it might be a bit too chilly to camp out under the stars in Northern Utah, the southern end of the state will be starting to look mighty inviting. March–April is also the time to get great views of Mars, Venus and Jupiter. The spectacular Lyrid Meteor Shower peaks the evening of April 21, and Southern Utah has no shortage of ways to take in the celestial show.
Viewing deck on the water—Lake Powell
Lake Powell was created when the Glen Canyon Dam was built in 1963. The lake’s shore is the red rock spires of what was once Glen Canyon and all those nooks and undulations add up to 2,000 miles of shoreline, which is more than the combined states on the Pacific Coast. It is best explored on the water, and, come nighttime, the deck of a rented houseboat becomes a viewing deck for thousands of stars, shining back from their reflections in the water all around. The Lake Powell Resorts and Marinas, situated lakeside with two locations at Wahweap and Bullfrog, can get you started on your houseboat stargazing adventures with rentals (and even grocery delivery!).
Walk among the stars—Bryce Canyon
On clear, nights, the Milky Way spills out across the sky, visible above Bryce Canyon National Park. The International Dark Sky Association named Bryce an official Dark Sky Park in 2019, and it boasts a yearly Astronomy Festival, packed with programming, every summer. Year-round, Bryce also hosts Dark Ranger Telescope Tours, a nighttime trek through the sky with a powerful telescope, guided by “astronomers, dark sky advocates and astronomy entertainers.” One of the quintessential places to stay (in a tipi, if you like) is Ruby’s Inn Campground and RV Park—which also hosts events during the Astronomy Festival.
Under the Dome
Camp out under the dome! Not to be confused with the “Capitol Dome,” the 180 million-year-old magnificent mound of Navajo sandstone in Capitol Reef National Park (which isn’t even a true dome, by the way). Resorts, campgrounds and hotels have started capitalizing on Southern Utah’s brilliant stargazing reputation by allowing visitors to stay in retro-futuristic, transparent geodesic domes, in full view of the night sky, from the comfort of a luxury mattress. For a dome close to Capitol Reef, there are skylight domes at the modern-art-infused Skyview Hotel in Torrey. Outside of Canyonlands National Park, is the homey, rustic-chic Canyonlands Domes in Monticello. Finally, putting the “glam” in glamping with its high-concept interiors, is Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon in Cannonville.
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