US half of Waterton-Glacier International Dark Sky Park.
Updated:
· Tonight: Friday, August 14, 2026
📍 Northern MT🌑 Bortle 2🚗 West Glacier, Montana is the main entrance, reached via Highway 2; about 2.5 hours north of Missoula.📅 First recognized in 2017; achieved full International Dark Sky Park certification in 2021 alongside Waterton Lakes.
About Glacier NP
Glacier and its Canadian neighbour Waterton Lakes together form the world's first transboundary International Dark Sky Park, fully certified in 2021. Logan Pass hosts ticketed Star Parties in summer where rangers and local astronomy club members set up telescopes right at the Continental Divide.
What you can see in the sky
Milky Way over the Continental Divide from Logan Pass, plus telescope views during Star Party events.
Best time of year
July through September, when Going-to-the-Sun Road (and Logan Pass) is open; Logan Pass Star Parties typically run in summer, tickets required.
Why this site is worth the drive
First fully certified transboundary International Dark Sky Park (with Waterton Lakes, Canada)
Logan Pass Star Parties run with Big Sky Astronomy Club volunteers
Going-to-the-Sun Road gives high-elevation access to open sky
Practical tips for Glacier NP
Logan Pass Star Party tickets are required due to limited parking — book ahead
Going-to-the-Sun Road is only open seasonally, typically summer to early fall
Nights are cold at elevation even in midsummer
Live 48-hour forecast
Tonight's verdict above is a build-time snapshot. For the full
hourly view — cloud cover, transparency, seeing, smoke, humidity,
moon altitude and a Bortle-aware tonight score by observing mode
(visual, deep-sky, planetary, astrophoto) — open the live forecast:
The live page combines Open-Meteo weather, US-AQI wildfire smoke,
moon math and Bortle-scale darkness into a single tonight score
(0–100), updated continuously.
Frequently asked questions
Is Glacier NP good for stargazing tonight?
Tonight's verdict is Excellent (High confidence). 10h of clear sky (≤30% cloud) during tonight's astronomical night, mean cloud 0%.
When is the best time of year to stargaze at Glacier NP?
July through September, when Going-to-the-Sun Road (and Logan Pass) is open; Logan Pass Star Parties typically run in summer, tickets required.
How long is the drive from Toronto?
West Glacier, Montana is the main entrance, reached via Highway 2; about 2.5 hours north of Missoula.
What can I see in the sky here?
Milky Way over the Continental Divide from Logan Pass, plus telescope views during Star Party events.
How dark is the sky? (Bortle scale)
Glacier NP sits at Bortle class 2 on the 1–9 dark-sky scale, where 1 is a pristine wilderness sky and 9 is an inner-city sky.