# Jasper National Park Dark Sky Preserve

Region: Rocky Mountains, AB, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 52.8734, -118.0806
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: Fly into Edmonton, then drive about 4–4.5 hours west via Highway 16.
Best time: Every October during the Jasper Dark Sky Festival, or any clear night from September through spring once the summer's short nights lengthen again.
Established: Designated a RASC Dark-Sky Preserve, covering over 11,000 km² — the world's second-largest.

## Overview
Jasper National Park's Dark-Sky Preserve covers more than 11,000 km², making it the second-largest in the world, and it draws crowds every October for the Jasper Dark Sky Festival. The Pyramid Lake / Pyramid Island area is the classic, easy-access spot — a short causeway walk from the parking lot puts Rocky Mountain peaks on one horizon and open sky on the rest.

## What to see
Milky Way over the Rockies, aurora on active nights, and Perseids each August.

## Highlights
- Second-largest Dark-Sky Preserve in the world at over 11,000 km²
- Annual Jasper Dark Sky Festival every October
- Pyramid Lake / Pyramid Island is a classic, easy-access viewing spot

## Tips
- Park entry fee applies
- Book festival accommodation in Jasper townsite well in advance
- Summer nights are short at this latitude — real astronomical darkness returns in August

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Jasper NP at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=jasper-np

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/jasper-np.json

Source: Parks Canada — Jasper National Park's Dark-Sky Preserve — https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/jasper/gestion-management/designation/cieletoile-darksky

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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=jasper-np.