IDA-certified Wasatch foothills park — closest true DSP to Ogden and SLC.
Updated:
· Tonight: Friday, August 14, 2026
📍 Northern UT🌑 Bortle 3🚗 About 25 minutes north-east of Ogden, Utah via North Fork Road/Highway 162 to Liberty.📅 International Dark Sky Park (Bronze tier) since 2015.
About North Fork Park
North Fork Park is a 2,600-acre county park tucked in the Wasatch Mountains above Ogden — a working Nordic-ski and camping area by day that turns into one of Utah's most accessible dark-sky sites by night. It was the world's 21st International Dark Sky Park, predating several of Utah's national parks.
What you can see in the sky
Milky Way over the mountain valley, with the distant glow of the Wasatch Front cities kept largely below the ridgeline.
Best time of year
Year-round; summer nights are easiest for casual visits, while winter's clear, cold air also delivers excellent transparency.
Why this site is worth the drive
Community-driven dark sky project backed by Weber State University and the Ogden Astronomical Society
Camping and yurts available right on site
Close enough to Ogden for an easy evening trip
Practical tips for North Fork Park
Reserve a campsite or yurt in advance in summer weekends
Nordic trail network means winter access may require different parking than summer
Some ambient glow is visible toward the Wasatch Front to the south
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 North Fork Park good for stargazing tonight?
Tonight's verdict is Fair (Medium confidence). Short 3h window, otherwise mean cloud 71%. Worth a look if you're nearby.
When is the best time of year to stargaze at North Fork Park?
Year-round; summer nights are easiest for casual visits, while winter's clear, cold air also delivers excellent transparency.
How long is the drive from Toronto?
About 25 minutes north-east of Ogden, Utah via North Fork Road/Highway 162 to Liberty.
What can I see in the sky here?
Milky Way over the mountain valley, with the distant glow of the Wasatch Front cities kept largely below the ridgeline.
How dark is the sky? (Bortle scale)
North Fork Park sits at Bortle class 3 on the 1–9 dark-sky scale, where 1 is a pristine wilderness sky and 9 is an inner-city sky.