Where to See the Milky Way in Wyoming

I remember the first time I saw Wyoming stars away from the city lights. I was out camping with my cousin and uncle at Crystal Reservoir. It was one of those Wyoming nights that only happens after a scorching day of heat and sun - the kind where a gentle breeze seems to blow away the heat and welcome in the coolness of the evening. My cousin poured us each a glass of Pepsi (we were too young for a nightcap at the time,) and we sat on the trampoline and looked up.

I was mesmerized! The moon shone vibrantly like a silver dollar in the sky, and the stars, oh, the stars! I had never seen so many of them. I know Cheyenne isn't too bad with light pollution, so we get stars most nights in the city. But this was mind-boggling, an entire blanket of stars spanning the whole sky.

Why Wyoming's Dark Skies Are Perfect for Stargazing

It turns out Wyoming has a lot of places where you can catch these fantastic views of the stars. In fact, as the state with the lowest population, we also have a remarkably low light pollution level - which means we have more places to stargaze than most states!

According to Go Astronomy.com, Wyoming has two sites free of light pollution. Astronomers and stargazing fans refer to those areas as dark-sky sites. Those two places are, bar none, the best place to see the Milky Way and all its starry constellations in Wyoming. Can you guess where they are?

Drumroll, please... The two dark skies locations in Wyoming are Medicine Bow National Forest and Yellowstone! But there are plenty of other sites across our state with stunning views of the night sky, too. Here's a list of the best places to stargaze in Wyoming - and yes, you can camp at all of them to get the full stargazing experience!