National Parks

8 Ways to Experience America’s National Parks After Dark

From Great Basin National Park’s Star Train to a rare firefly dance in the Great Smoky Mountains.

May 19, 2022

Great Sand Dunes National Park. Nature Outdoors Universe Space Astronomy Nebula Outer Space Night and Milky Way

With national park visitation up some 60 million since 2020, there are fewer and fewer ways to get some quiet time with nature in America’s most venerated public lands. That goes double for big-ticket names like Yellowstone, Zion, and Yosemite—the country’s 25 most-popular parks receive over 50 percent of all visitors. (That’s 150 million people.)

In other words, to avoid crowds, traffic jams, reservation mix-ups, and hiking in lines, visitors have to get creative. One of the simplest ways? Experiencing these protected landscapes come nightfall. “Half the park is after dark,” as the National Park Service (NPS) slogan goes—and with the dusk-to-dawn adventures below, a whole other world awaits.

Read on for the best ways to experience America’s national parks after dark.

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A nightly party at Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park isn’t exactly an after-dark secret—the park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and plenty of travelers trek in to experience the rolling dunes in the darkness. You can beat the nighttime crowds by wandering away from the visitor center toward Castle Creek—or you can join them.
On the main dune field just off the parking lot, visitors put on their own light shows with cell phones and flashlights. Some play music, and others soar down the dunes on sandboards. Just be sure to pay attention to where you’re going, and know how to use your phone’s compass app—it’s easy to get lost on the endless dunes in the darkness.
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Watch fireflies dance in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
Lucky visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park gather near Elkmont Campground in late May and early June for the park’s buzziest nightlife: watching rover fireflies light up in their synchronous mating dance. This is a lotteried event, so only ticketed visitors (and campers and backpackers) are allowed into the area after 4pm. (This year, the lottery opened in late April and closed in early May.)
Once night falls—around 9pm—the flashing begins, initially random but quickly synchronizing into a series of five to eight flashes, followed by an eight-second pause. The forest floor pulses with light for the next several hours, revealing the neon rhythms of Mother Nature.

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Spy on nocturnal wildlife in Death Valley National Park, California
Average July highs in Death Valley National Park hover around 115 degrees Fahrenheit. You wouldn’t want to be outdoors here during the day—and neither do the wildlife.
Since soaring temperatures are a fixture of the hottest, driest, and lowest national park on the planet, night is often the most active time for Death Valley’s critters. Look for coyotes, kit foxes, raccoon-like ringtail, large-eared jackrabbits, and kangaroo rats hunting, foraging, and escaping the desert sun. Visit during a full moon to see the desert naturally lit in the moonglow, scout for signs of life in spots like the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near Stovepipe Wells, and don’t forget to pack those wide-angle binoculars.
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Ride the Star Train at Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Northern Nevada has some of the darkest, starriest skies in the U.S. If you’re lucky enough to score a ticket, commune with those cosmos aboard the Great Basin Star Train, which departs from Ely via the Northern Nevada Railway. Every Friday during summer, the park’s rangers climb aboard for a 7:30pm show, narrating the way with trivia, Q&As, and even a few prizes. Heading eastward for about 11 miles, you’ll catch the sunset on a remote mountainside, later disembarking for a look into all that glitters via telescope—and your naked eye.
Tickets tend to sell out a full year in advance. If you can’t nab one for your visit, consider attending one of the park’s regular night-sky programs—there’s even the dedicated Astronomy Amphitheater for ranger talks and sky-viewing.

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Witness the northern lights in Denali National Park, Alaska
Away from the light pollution of cities and far enough north for wild displays, Denali National Park’s nights glow purple and green when conditions are right: It must be dark—not a given in Alaska—it must be clear, and there must be aurora activity.
To increase your odds of seeing those famous waves of light, visit Denali between August and April. The deeper into winter you go, the better your odds (and the darker your nights). Find anywhere with an open view of the northern horizon and little to no light pollution, monitor the aurora forecast, and cross your fingers for a technicolor show.
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Go full-moon hiking in Joshua Tree National Park, California
Similar to Death Valley, Joshua Tree also sees summer highs around 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Beat the heat by hitting the national park after dark, ideally during a full moon. The park’s wild desertscapes turn a bit eerie in the moonlight, nearly human-less and totally still.
Stick to the flatter trails so you don’t get hurt on your nighttime sojourn—the trek to the Ryan Ranch Homestead and its Stonehenge-like ruins is a great option, as is the Hidden Valley Trail, normally swarming with visitors. If you need a light, make sure it’s red to protect your night vision.

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Peer through Montana’s biggest telescope at Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park takes its status as an International Dark-Sky Park seriously: In 2019, the Dusty Star Observatory opened in St. Mary, showcasing one of the NPS’ biggest telescopes in its Star Dome. At 20 inches, visitors can view the swirls of planets, stars, and entire galaxies in high-resolution.
During summer, nightly astronomy programs take place in St. Mary as well as in Apgar, on the west side of the park; the Logan Pass Star Parties, monthly from June to September, are some of the most popular events in the park.
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Hunt for glowing mushrooms in Congaree National Park, South Carolina
You’ve heard of bioluminescent waters, but how about bioluminescent fungi? Wander between the cypress trees of Congaree National Park, and, if you’re lucky and careful, you’ll notice the decaying logs and branches sporting a neon glow. Though foxfire or fairy fire is the common term for glow-in-the-dark mushrooms, several types of fungi showcase their blacklight powers come nightfall.
To catch the spectacle, May and June are your best bets: Bring a red-light headlamp with you to wander the Firefly, Bluff, and Longleaf trails in the dark. Take a moment to turn your light source off, let your senses adjust for a moment, and peek around for neon treasure. (Of course, take only pictures.) The glowing scene will be so special, you'll no doubt be itching to visit more national parks after dark by the time you've returned to your car.