Outside of the blinding neon lights of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada is a vast, mostly rural state of open desert landscapes and pitch-black skies. For stargazers, it’s paradise.
The state is home to three official “Dark Sky Places,” designated pockets of land where light pollution is at a minimum and the stars shine their brightest. Reaching these remote locales isn’t always easy, but Nevada rewards ambitious road trippers with unforgettable things to see along the way: a host of bizarre roadside attractions, Old West ghost towns, stunning state parks, alien-themed kitsch, and phenomenal natural sites.To help plan your own killer stargazing road trip through Nevada, we’ve charted out three loose itineraries, with plenty of opportunities to zip and zag: a 130-mile drive from Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park; a 300-mile journey from Vegas up to Great Basin National Park; and a 150-mile stretch from Reno to the ultra-remote Massacre Rim. Happy star tripping.