Jersey pine barrens

Cherry springs isn't 2/3 hrs but it's basically the only place to see the Milky Way this side of the Mississippi. Besides northern Maine and the Adirondacks. Class 2 night sky. Incredibly beautiful views. Honestly big bend NP(class 1-virtually zero light pollution)is worth it. The Milky Way can almost look like dawn when it rises. It's incredible.

Roundstone camp in Weatherly. It has woody camp sites and they also have a big airfield you can walk to on the property where you can see everything in the sky at night.

To get somewhere without any light pollution you'll have to go farther than a 2-3 hour drive.

https://darksitefinder.com/maps/world.html#4/45.37/-96.33

Cherry springs is a good place within that drive range, but you can get darker if you go farther. You can also get much darker than the city somewhere much closer like French Creek state park, but you wont see the milky way there.

Seconding this location.

I haven't made it up there myself yet but they hold regular astronomy events.

go birds

Thanks for this! I can probably do Cherry Springs. I have a tent for my small truck both of which I use for camping. It's not the newest truck but Cherry Springs is only 4 hrs. Big Bend sound does sound amazing. Would be an expensive trip but I do have a good friend living in Texas. Might be something he would be into.

Awesome! Thanks for the link!

Roughly 5 hrs- Watkins Glen, NY. Plus lovely water features!

PA Dark Skies info: https://pawilds.com/landscape/dark-skies/#!directory/map/ord=rnd

As others have said Cherry Glenn, I’d also recommend Trout Run it’s just north of Williamsport and can be reached in about three hours. Camp at Sheshequin Campground which is in a bit of a valley surrounded by mountains to block out the lights from Williamsport. On a clear night you should be able to see the Milky Way along the river behind the campground. Rock Run is nearby and has a lot of great trails to hike and swimming holes.

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Hickory Run area where I live has relatively dark skies and is convenient to the Turnpike.

On really clear nights you can see the Milky Way. But going out to Cherry Springs represents the real deal.

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Just FYI, there's also Stephen C Foster State Park in Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge in GA. It is Dark Skies rated. Great place.

I looked this place up and it looked like it has it's own night sky public viewing field. Is there anything special about this place other than its dark? Just going off a map it looks like you can find a few comparably remote locations closer to the city. Just curious what's special about this place.

Edit: nvm I did a little more research and just learned about the bortle scale, funny enough I have family with a cabin in the second closest class 2 location to philly

This is my absolute favorite spot

Catskills. Tends to be overcast but when it's not, it's spectacular.

Cherry Springs and Wellsboro area are wonderful.

I’ve seen the milky way from Assateague State and National Parks. 3 hrs away. But the weather has to cooperate!

Tip: I like to head out that way once a year for stargazing and getting a reservation at Cherry Springs can be very difficult. You want to go during a New Moon to maximize darkness and all their camping sites are booked during the New Moon through the summer already. I think they allow you to make reservations 11 months in advance. I've stayed at Ole Bull and Leonard Harrison and enjoyed the views from there. While staying at those sites, there were quite a few people who would set up camp there and then make the 15-20 minute drive to Cherry Springs at night to do the stargazing and then come back after. Definitely worth it!

Thanks for the pro-tip!

have i not been seeing the milky way in the poconos? i understand its not true dark sky but i could make out the milky way in the poconos and catskills in past years

Seconding this. Easy Drive, chill spot (Chincoteague and Assateague) and can def see the Milkyway with the naked eye on moonless nights.

My friend took me to a place called Apple Pie Hill in the Pine Barrens. It sits between Philly and AC, it was apparently the closest place nearby with dark skies. It took about 45 minutes to get there from Philly. There was a fire tower there and at the top you could see Philly and AC. I've heard you can't access the fire tower anymore though.

Yeah, trust me when I tell you-you have not. The difference between the poconos and cherry springs is staggering. Big bend is the way the skies looked before and industrial civilization. It's somewhat disconcerting, actually. I've never been to the Catskills but the Adirondacks are class 2 skies like cherry springs. Don't think the Catskills have that rating.

You can also see the Milky Way in the UP in Michigan

Catskills are not far enough. Want to also throw my vote in for Cherry springs. Truly incredible. I saw a green meteor streak across the sky there, you could literally hear it burn up and the gasp from the field of people was audible. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life. If you can, go during a meteor shower.

Make sure you bring some supplies like blankets, hot drinks and maybe some snacks. Enjoy the entire night and give yourself a few days in case there are clouds. It can get real cold depending on the time of year and the wind blows across the field they have set up for viewing.