Stumbled onto a dark sky preserve in Michigan last weekend

I was driving back from a camping trip near Mackinaw City and noticed a sign for a dark sky preserve I had never heard of. It's called the Headlands and it's right on Lake Michigan. I pulled in around 11pm and the sky was absolutely insane. You could see the Milky Way so clearly it looked fake, like someone painted it up there. Even with my phone camera I got some decent shots of the Andromeda galaxy, which I didn't think was possible without a real telescope. The park ranger said they keep the lights off for miles around and it really makes a difference. Has anyone else visited a dark sky park? I want to find more close to home.

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nancy_owens10d ago

Got a buddy who drove up to the Headlands last fall with his telescope, said he spent three hours just staring at the Milky Way and didn't even bother with the scope because the naked eye view was so good. He told me he could see the faint glow of the Northern Lights off and on, which he only figured out after checking a forecast app the next morning. Park ranger told him the lake effect helps keep the air clear and stable too, so the stars don't twinkle as much. He's already planning another trip back for August when the Perseids are going wild.