Americans are hitting a wall. The news feed, the bank account, the constant phone notifications—it’s a lot, and people are increasingly looking for the fastest exit ramp. Nature is the obvious answer, which is probably why Google searches for “best stargazing spots near me” have surged over 5,000% in the past month.
The experts at Live Casinos ran the numbers on where to actually go, analyzing the Bortle scale (a nine-level measurement of how dark any given sky is) against average annual cloud cover per state to produce a star visibility score out of 10.
South Dakota ranks first with a score of 7.79. Over half the state (52.66%) falls between Bortle scale 1 and 3, and 9.42% falls at Bortle scale 1—the most favorable rating possible and the highest of any state in the country. Cloud cover averages just 11.65% annually, so clear skies are the rule. Sanborn County is the standout, scoring 8.78 with the entire county sitting within the optimal Bortle range.
Wyoming comes in second at 7.65, helped by being one of 19 states with laws limiting light pollution. Nearly half the state (46.39%) sits within Bortle 1–3, and Hot Springs County scores 8.71. Alaska takes third at 7.64, with Nome County as the sweet spot—85.4% of that area qualifies as optimal. One catch: Alaska’s summer months are a wash due to extended daylight. Between August and April, though, you’ve got a solid shot at the aurora borealis.
The top 10 best states in America for stargazing:
- South Dakota: 7.79/10
- Wyoming: 7.65/10
- Alaska: 7.64/10
- Montana: 7.51/10
- Arizona: 7.37/10
- Nevada: 7.34/10
- North Dakota: 7.27/10
- New Mexico: 7.10/10
- Nebraska: 7.10/10
- Oregon: 6.97/10
On the other end, Rhode Island scores a 0.56 out of 10. Only 0.05% of the state has a Bortle classification between 1 and 3; none of it reaches Bortle 1, and annual cloud cover sits at nearly 14.5%. Even Texas—home to some of the worst light pollution in the country around Austin and Houston—outperforms it at the county level. Cochran County scores a near-perfect 9.14, with the entire area falling within the optimal Bortle range.
For the best “I want to feel mind-blown by the vastness of the universe” stargazing, you’ll need to pack a blanket and go north.
The post The Best (and Worst) States for Stargazing in America, Ranked appeared first on VICE.
