Travel Alert: The southern portion of San Juan County including the communities of Bluff, Montezuma Creek, Aneth and the surrounding areas, has been heavily affected by recent heavy rain and flooding.

Please be advised that there may be road, park, and business closures throughout the area. More information here.

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Milky Way Highway

Stretching from the red rock towers of Moab to the quiet mesas of Bluff, the Milky Way Highway connects Southeastern Utah's darkest skies into one unforgettable summer journey. Here, far from city lights, the galactic core rises in full view for most of the night — turning Arches, Canyonlands, Natural Bridges, and the communities between them into the ultimate after-dark road trip. Plan your nights under some of the darkest skies in North America, and discover a whole new way to experience the desert.

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Map of the Milky Way Highway from Moab to Bluff, showing Arches National Park, Castle Valley, Moab, Dead Horse Point State Park, Island in the Sky and Needles districts of Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, Bluff, Goosenecks State Park and Rainbow Bridge National Monument.

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Spend the night among the stars

Featured on Milky Way Highway

Arches National Park

Home to over 2,000 natural stone arches silhouetted against a blazing Milky Way, Arches is an International Dark Sky Park where the galactic core rises directly behind iconic formations like Delicate Arch. Its high desert elevation and minimal light pollution make it one of the most photographed night skies in the Southwest.

Castle Valley

Framed by the towering sandstone spires of the Priest and Nuns and Castleton Tower, this quiet valley offers wide-open sky views with almost no artificial light interference. As a part of the dark sky community, it's a favorite among photographers for combining dramatic desert monoliths with deep, star-saturated skies.

Moab

The gateway to the region's dark sky destinations, Moab offers easy access to stargazing spots just minutes from town along with lodging, dining, and outfitters to help plan your night-sky adventure. It's the perfect home base for exploring everything the Milky Way Highway has to offer.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Perched 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, this International Dark Sky Park delivers panoramic canyon views by day and some of the clearest, darkest skies in Utah by night. Its dramatic overlook makes it one of the most striking places in the state to watch the Milky Way rise over the canyon.

Island in the Sky District - Canyonlands National Park

Sitting atop a massive mesa with sweeping views in every direction, this district of Canyonlands National Park offers uninterrupted horizon-to-horizon dark sky viewing far from any light pollution. Its high elevation and remote location make it one of the darkest and most dramatic stargazing spots in the region.

Needles District - Canyonlands National Park

Named for its colorful spires of Cedar Mesa sandstone, the remote Needles District is one of the least light-polluted areas in the country, offering exceptionally deep, star-filled skies. Its distance from major towns makes it a true escape for serious stargazers.

Natural Bridges National Monument

As the world's first International Dark Sky Park, Natural Bridges set the standard for dark sky preservation and remains one of the best places on Earth to see the Milky Way. Visitors can even view the galaxy framed through one of its massive natural stone bridges.

Hovenweep National Monument

Home to ancient Puebloan tower structures set against a backdrop of pristine, undeveloped desert, Hovenweep offers some of the darkest skies in the Four Corners region. Its remote location and historic significance make for a stargazing experience steeped in both silence and history.

Bluff

A small, historic town along the San Juan River, Bluff serves as the perfect basecamp for exploring the dark sky destinations of San Juan County. As a dark sky community, its low light pollution and dramatic red rock backdrop make even the town itself a great spot to look up.

Goosenecks State Park

Overlooking dramatic, snaking curves of the San Juan River carved 1,000 feet below, Goosenecks offers a wide-open, unobstructed sky with almost no light pollution for miles. It's a favorite for wide-angle astrophotography that captures both the canyon's geology and the galaxy above.

Rainbow Bridge National Monument

One of the world's largest known natural bridges, this remote and sacred site offers a rare combination of striking geology and some of the darkest, most protected skies in the Southwest. Accessible only by boat or a 30-mile round-trip hike, its isolation makes for a truly untouched stargazing experience.

Delicate Arch lit against the Milky Way at night A double sandstone arch framing the Milky Way Two lit tents beneath a star-filled desert sky The Milky Way rising above a desert spire in Valley of the Gods An ancient Puebloan stone tower silhouetted beneath the Milky Way

100 Miles. 100 Billion Stars.

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