Jasper Dark Sky Preserve

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Person with a headlamp sitting near a lake watching the northern lights in the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve.

Starry night sky over the Rockies in the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve.

Person sitting by a campfire in the forest underneath the northern lights at night in the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve.

Couple sitting by a campfire in the forest underneath the northern lights at night in the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve.

Person standing near a lake with arms reaching up to the northern lights in the Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve.

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If life gives you dark skies, make yourself a Dark Sky Preserve. That logic informed the creation of the Jasper Dark Sky Preserve in 2011. The preserve is the world’s largest accessible Dark Sky Preserve—meaning that it also contains a town. At over 11,000 square kilometres, the preserve offers incomparable stargazing possibilities even just outside the Jasper town limits. So be sure to stay up late on at least one night of your stay. The Jasper Planetarium, on the grounds of the Jasper Park Lodge, is a great place to contemplate the heavens with the help of powerful telescopes and knowledgeable interpreters. The annual Dark Sky Festival in October includes free and ticketed events and workshops. You can learn about the constellations, listen to Indigenous songs and stories, and even pick up some tips for photographing the spectacular night sky.