IDA-certified badlands park — bison, aurora, no city domes.
Updated:
· Tonight: Friday, August 14, 2026
📍 Western ND🌑 Bortle 2🚗 In western North Dakota, reached via I-94 near Medora, about 2.5 hours west of Bismarck.
About Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt National Park sits more than 30 miles from any large city in western North Dakota's badlands, which keeps its night skies remarkably clear of light interference. The park hosts the Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival each year, a partnership event with amateur astronomers bringing telescopes out for public viewing.
What you can see in the sky
Milky Way over the North Dakota badlands, with telescope viewing during the Dakota Nights festival.
Best time of year
Late summer, timed to the annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival, or any clear, moonless night the rest of the year.
Why this site is worth the drive
More than 30 miles from any large city, minimizing light interference
Annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival brings in visiting astronomers and telescopes
Peaceful Valley Ranch and Oxbow Overlook are popular informal viewing spots
Practical tips for Theodore Roosevelt
Check dates for the annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival if you want a guided telescope experience
The park has multiple units (South and North) — plan your route accordingly
Badlands terrain can be uneven in the dark — bring a good headlamp
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 Theodore Roosevelt good for stargazing tonight?
Tonight's verdict is Good (High confidence). 4h clear window during astronomical night, mean cloud 35%.
When is the best time of year to stargaze at Theodore Roosevelt?
Late summer, timed to the annual Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival, or any clear, moonless night the rest of the year.
How long is the drive from Toronto?
In western North Dakota, reached via I-94 near Medora, about 2.5 hours west of Bismarck.
What can I see in the sky here?
Milky Way over the North Dakota badlands, with telescope viewing during the Dakota Nights festival.
How dark is the sky? (Bortle scale)
Theodore Roosevelt 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.