Spanning 11,000 sq km of protected, pristine wilderness, Jasper National Park offers a one-of-a-kind destination for stargazers.

It's a balmy October evening and an overture from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Strings hushes a buzzing crowd. Dusk has fallen in Jasper National Park, and I'm snug under a blanket, gazing up at a sea of stars amidst the Milky Way's glow. Just below, snow-dusted peaks rise towards the heavens and the clear, glacial-blue waters of Lac Beauvert blend into the inky darkness.

Symphony Under the Stars is one of many events at the annual Dark Sky Festival (17 October to 2 November 2025) held in Jasper National Park, one of the world's largest and most accessible dark sky preserves.

Designated as a Dark Sky Preserve in 2011 by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and spanning 11,000 sq km of protected land where minimal to no light pollution is allowed, Jasper isn't just one of the best places to stargaze; it's also an ideal spot to see the Northern Lights. And as experts predict that 2025 "will mesmerise" with one of the greatest aurora displays in 20 years, there's never been a better time to explore this quiet corner of the Canadian Rockies.

Unlike other Dark Sky Preserves in Canada and the US like Wood Buffalo National Park and Grasslands National Park that have little to no infrastructure or lodging, the eponymous 4,700-person town of Jasper – located within the preserve – allows travellers easy stargazing access. According to Tyler Burgardt, an astrophysicist and general manager of the Jasper Planetarium, what makes Jasper so unique is visitors can drive right in. Located roughly 3.5 hours from Edmonton and Calgary, the town's hotels and locally led stargazing tours means star-lovers don't need to rough it.

"You get to see something you don't get in other [accessible] places, which is the ability to see thousands of stars, even from the middle of town," Burgardt said.

His favourite tour is one offered in summer, where guests visit the planetarium and then take a twilight stroll down to a peninsula located on Lac Beauvert. Ringed by rugged peaks and hauntingly silent, the only sound you may hear is the soft ripple of wind on the water. Burgardt estimates the Northern Lights are visible here roughly every 10 days to two weeks. "It's just absolutely beautiful," he said. "It's a really cool way to truly experience the nighttime side of the Canadian Rockies."

The quaint, alpine community is committed to ensuring that minimal artificial lighting is visible by installing streetlights that point downwards and have a softer glow than regular lights. As Burgardt notes, Jasper's location within the national park, and surrounded by the Unesco-designated Canadian Rocky Mountains, also provides a natural barrier from the artificial light created by nearby cities.

According to the RASC, the goal of a dark sky designation in a community is to promote "

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