This U.P. area has been named 3rd 'dark sky park' in Michigan

The sky above Historic Keweenaw Mountain Lodge has earned it a new accolade.

The International Dark-Sky Association has named the park in Copper Harbor in the Upper Peninsula its third certified Dark Sky Park in Michigan.

Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park in Vandalia in southwest Michigan's Cass County was named a Dark Sky Park in 2020, and The Headlands in Emmet County's Mackinaw City became one in 2011, the sixth such location in the U.S. at the time.

“Keweenaw Dark Sky Park offers a unique experience to stargazing in the Midwestern United States,” Ashley Wilson, IDA’s director of conservation, said in a release. “The historic wilderness lodge allows visitors to view the magnificence of the night sky in a window of the pristine boreal landscape while also having the opportunity to further engage with the nocturnal environment with astrophotography and lighting management workshops.”

Nearly 200 locations worldwide have been named dark sky parks by the association, which seeks "to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting." 

Keweenaw offers a remote area at the northern-most tip of Michigan, surrounded by Lake Superior. The park offers night sky and Northern Lights photography workshops and other programming to highlight its location under the stars.

In April, the park highlighted on Instagram its efforts to be named a dark sky park. "Today ... we have submitted the 4th version of the application, which addresses the latest feedback provided by IDA's Dark Sky Park Committee.

"This effort to be a designated international dark sky park is in concert with our environmentally focused activities we enjoy working on at the Lodge. We enjoy the challenge of improving our footprint on this earth."

The park is on both state and national registries of historic places. The Lodge was built in 1934 as a Works Progress Administration project.

Those interested in night sky viewing can plan ahead for clear skies and perfect views by checking the forecast online.