The Headlands Park, Michigan
Nestled along Lake Michigan, Headlands is known for having a very dark sky at night. On certain evenings, you can even see the Northern Lights from here. They also have a program with plenty of events throughout the year, like Star Light Trivia on Friday nights. The Dark Sky Discovery Trail takes guests from the Headlands entrance to the designated Dark Sky Viewing Area along a one-mile paved path.
The area is free from most city light pollution, and the Headlands are located on the banks of the Straits of Mackinac, at the peak of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. As a 550-acre park, they became a Silver-Certified International Dark Sky Park in 2011. While the stargazing doesn’t quite compete with the remote sites in the Western US, the Headlands strive to make up for it with staff enthusiasm, and thorough programming offered free of charge.
