Do you ever just sit and stare up at the night sky in awe of all it’s beauty?

I know I do! And since International Dark Sky week is from March 31-April 7, I wanted to share my experience in Glacier National Park with you.

Patrick and I took a spontaneous trip to Waterton-Glacier National Park only to discover that we got the last two tickets to the International Dark Sky Park night.

What is an International Dark Sky Park night?

It is said that we are nearing a time that the night sky will no longer be visible to the naked human eye. Why? Because light pollution is becoming a big problem. There are already parts of the world where the night sky is completely blocked.

Because of this, the Dark Sky Organization has decided to dedicate a few nights a year to a collaborative night of no lights. We happened across one of these nights on our trip to Glacier National Park.

Obviously, we bought the last two tickets and drove up to Logan’s Pass, appreciating the majesty of the park along the way.

At Logan’s Pass, which is at the top of Glacier National Park, we claimed our spot.

Then took a nice easy hike to pass the the afternoon. It was called Highline Trail. It’s a mellow hike that offers up amazing views of Glacier National Park. We got back to our car before sunset to cook dinner and attend the International Dark Sky Park night party.

As headlights (and all lights) are prohibited this night for many miles, we opted to get our car ready for sleeping. The park allows guests to sleep in the Logan’s Pass parking lot this night only, so that visitors don’t have to drive in the early morning. Our car is outfitted for sleeping.

We all gathered around a table to receive information and glow sticks.

For the International Dark Sky Park night, the astronomers give out glow sticks. The glow sticks don’t kill your night vision and help keep the night dark and the stars perfectly visible.

In a presentation, they explained to us the importance of protecting our night skies and then explained how the night would proceed.

Astronomers had brought telescopes and focused them on various wonders of the night sky.

There was also a Blackfoot Native American woman who shared stories of the stars for all to hear.

After the presentation, all lights were turned off. Patrick and I wandered around to all the telescopes to see the wonders that are hidden from our human eyes.

Below is a list of the wonders we saw in Glacier National Park…

I did not have a camera capable of capturing the stars/planets so I don’t have any pictures but click through to see pictures!

1. Saturn with rings and Titan the Moon. (Click here for picture)
2. M13-Globular Nebula. (Click here for picture)
3. M57 – Ring Nebula. (Click here for picture)
4. Albereo – Double Star. (Click here for picture)

Eventually, the night came to a close.

We had all gotten our fill of the stars and went our own ways with a new appreciation for the Dark Skies that our parks, like Glacier National Park, protects.

Now, every night, when I look up, I appreciate that I can see a plethora of stars splashed through the velvet skies from my home. The only star I can still recognize is the Albereo double star. Why?

It is the star that twinkles!

The fact that Glacier National Park of the USA and Waterton National Park of Canada come together to give us a night of wonder is a truly amazing thing.

What better way to learn about our sky and the danger it is in than to see it’s beauty?

Have you been able to see the stars in this way before? Would you like to?

To learn more about the Dark Sky organization, click HERE. I encourage all of you to take time to go see stars, wherever you are. And please feel free to leave your comments below 🙂

And, as always, remember to Leave No Trace, wherever you may go.

Happy Travels!