What is astro tourism?
Astro tourism is a growing trend, with travelers becoming increasingly interested in visiting destinations to stargaze and experience awe-inspiring astronomical events in clear skies.
Leaving the city dust and urban neighborhoods behind to explore the night sky is a perfect way to spend the summer months, especially with the upcoming astrological events. Stargazing has become a popular hobby for those seeking the most ideal spots to see the bright stars clearly in dark skies and there are plenty of places to recommend to find the best views.
Researchers at InsureMyTrip conducted a study into the best destinations to visit for upcoming astronomical events in 2025, including the Perseid and Draconid meteor showers, which can be seen from the U.S., along with the Lunar Eclipse which can be seen from many global locations. The study looked into specific peak times for each event, investigating the light pollution via Bortle scale, the percentage of nightly cloud coverage, local observatories, and air quality, while also factoring in tourism metrics such as accommodations and campsites where visitors can stay.
Top 5 U.S. Destinations for Astro Adventurers
The Perseid meteor shower is a well-documented annual shower that occurs from mid-July to late August. Its name comes from its estimated direction from the constellation Perseus.
The top U.S. destinations to see the Perseid meteor shower are:
- 1. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon – 7.1 overall
- 1. Watoga State Park, West Virginia – 7.1 overall
- 3. Antelope, Oregon – 6.5 overall
- 4. Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, Oregon – 6.2 overall
- 5. Jonestown, Texas – 6.1 overall
- 5. Blanco, Texas – 6.1 overall
Cottonwood Canyon State Park and Watoga State Park are tied as the best destinations to view the Perseid meteor shower.
Antelope is the smallest destination on the list with a size of 0.5 mi2 while Watoga State Park is the largest at 30.6 mi2. Jonestown and Blanco, both ranked 5th and both in Texas, have the highest number of properties to stay in with Jonestown having 1,986 properties available and Blanco having 2,465 properties available.
Best U.S. Destination for Perseid Meteor Shower
In first, is Cottonwood Canyon State Park in Oregon and Watoga State Park in West Virginia, each with an overall score of 7.1.
Cottonwood Canyon State Park has a 2.6 rating on the Bortle scale for a ‘typical truly dark site’, with only 8% cloud coverage when the shower peaks so there will be clear views of the fiery shower. Along with seven properties, including hotels, there are also 21 campsites for those who prefer to sleep under the stars.
Watoga has a higher rating on the Bortle scale with 3.5 classed as a ‘rural sky’, but there is less chance of a cloudy night, with 3% cloud coverage predicted. It has four observatories within its vicinity for visitors who are keen to explore the science behind the stars.
Top 5 U.S. Destinations for Astro Adventurers
The Draconid meteor shower, will take place in the Northern Hemisphere, peaking on October 8th. This shower is named after the constellation Draco which is the direction the meteors may have come from.
The top U.S. destinations to see the Draconid meteor shower are ranked below:
- 1. Saguaro National Park, Arizona – 7.5 overall
- 2. Watoga State Park, West Virginia – 7 overall
- 3. Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona – 6.9 overall
- 4. Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina – 6.7 overall
- 4. Cottonwood Canyon State Park, Oregon – 6.7 overall
Saguaro National Park is the best destination to visit for the Draconid meteor shower, with an overall score of 7.5.
Watoga has also made it to the Draconid list, along with Cottonwood Canyon State Park, while Chiricahua National Monument makes its first appearance. Located in Arizona, the Chiricahua National Monument has a 2.4 score on the Bortle scale, with only 2% coverage on October 8th. Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina is joint fourth, with the best air quality (10/100) and a low average nightly cost of $151 across 619 available properties.
Best U.S. Destination for Draconid Meteor Shower
The best destination to visit to see the Draconid meteor shower is Saguaro National Park in Arizona, which achieved an overall score of 7.5. It has the highest number of observatories, with 26 in proximity. Kitt Peak is under an hour away which boasts 17 of them. Along with having 1,180 properties to choose from, or five campsites for a more rural stay, the average cost of a nightly stay is $124. The national park is spacious with a size of 142.7 mi2 so there is endless sky to spot the shower as it shoots through the sky.
Top 5 Global Destinations for Astro Tourism
The Lunar Eclipse, where the Earth will pass between the sun and moon, will occur over September 7th and 8th , passing a red illumination across the full moon.
The top five best global destinations to see the lunar eclipse are:
- 1. Palm Beach Headland, Australia – 7.6 overall
- 2. Island of Anholt, Denmark – 7.2 overall
- 3. North Ronaldsay Dark Sky Island, Scotland – 6.8 overall
- 4. Spiekeroog Star Island, Germany – 6.4 overall
- 4. Pellworm Star Island, Germany – 6.4 overall
Palm Beach Headland is in first position followed by Island of Anholt, just off the coast of Denmark. Island of Anholt has an overall score of 7.2 and has the largest number of campsites with seven, so those visiting have a choice of where to pitch a tent and watch the eclipse with low cloud coverage of only 6% on the night of September 7th.
In third position is North Ronaldsay Dark Sky Island in Scotland. It has an overall score of 6.8.
Germany has two destinations in joint fourth – Spiekeroog and Pellworm. Both have an overall score of 6.4 and are registered star islands so visitors have a great opportunity to visibly see the most incredible spectacles.
Best Global Destination for the Lunar Eclipse
In top spot for global locations is Palm Beach Headland in Australia – first designated as a dark sky location in 2024. It has all attractions of a beach vacation too. Despite it being right next to Sydney, the light pollution rating here is 2.6 with clear skies to peruse the stars, along with five observatories within proximity. It also has 300 properties available to stay, with an average nightly cost of $368. There are also three campsites located down the beach for an unobstructed view of the eclipse.
Methodology
For the list of U.S. and global locations in the study, they were selected according to their dark sky accreditation from DarkSky International. Each data point consists of the latest research available from reputable sources. All sources are city/town-specific level data points unless noted. The data was standardized using minmax normalization. The minmax normalization value is multiplied by 10 to create a score (between 0-10). A score of 10 is always the best result, while a score of 0 is the worst. Each destination is then ranked on their overall rating across all metrics to find which destination is the best for the coming celestial sights.
Sources
Bortle Scale (light pollution) – https://lightpollutionmap.app/
Air Quality – https://weather.com/
Dark Sky Location Size – https://darksky.org/
Percentage of Cloud Cover – https://www.accuweather.com/
- Perseid destinations: Percentage on the night of the August 12th
- Draconid destinations: Percentage on the night of October 8th
- Global destinations: Percentage on the night of the September 7th
Number of Observatories (within 2 hours) – https://www.go-astronomy.com/observatories.htm
Number and Average Cost of Properties with ‘Outdoor Space’ – https://www.expedia.com/
- Global Locations – Average nightly cost and number available between September 3rd and 9th (over the peak of the Lunar Eclipse)
- U.S. Locations – Average nightly cost and number available between September 14th and 20th (midway between showers)
Number of Campsites – https://opencampingmap.org/
