Montana’s Trail to the Stars

Sky full of night stars

Astronomical tourism, a niche yet impactful segment of sustainable tourism, thrives in Montana due to its natural dark night skies. Glacier National Park, part of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, is a premier destination recognized as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), hosting numerous stargazing events from June through September. Winter offers exceptional stargazing opportunities with clear skies and the Northern Lights, especially in prime locations like the Missouri River Country and Yellowstone Country. Montana’s Trail to the Stars also features some of the darkest skies in the contiguous United States. To foster this niche market, ITRR employed various research methods to gain insights into stargazing visitors, with a report forthcoming in the summer of 2024.

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