Want to watch the Perseids meteor shower this week? These are the most spectacular Dark Sky Places to view it from

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Make the most of one of the best shooting star displays of the year by heading into the wilderness

Perseid Meteor Fireball Streaks Above Pine Trees
Hike away from urban light to fully experience the meteor shower (Image credit: Getty Images)

The spectacular Perseids meteor shower peaks every August, and this year the 'shooting star' display will be most obvious overnight on Sunday 11 to Monday 12 August.

Expect a dramatic display of light trails as the Earth travels through rocks and dust left by comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. They burn up in our atmosphere leaving bright streaks in the night sky.

Prime viewing is between 12am and 4am where you could see up to 50-100 meteors per hour, according to NASA.

Here are our pick of Dark Sky Places in the USA to view the shower... 

Campers cook dinner under a star-laden sky on the White Rim trail

Camp out to fully experience the meteor shower, which will last throughout the night (Image credit: Getty Images)
  • 1. Canyonlands National Park, Utah
    Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, you can camp out here and experience the darkest skies over the majestic red rock labyrinth.
  • 2. Joshua Tree National Park, California
    Officials have said to buy entrance passes ahead of time as they predict a surge of visitors who want to experience the shower amid the park's windswept vistas and iconic rock formations.
  • 3. Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida
    One of the darkest night skies in the eastern United States, this is 729,000 acres of rugged, untouched Florida wilderness and is an official Dark Sky Park.
  • 4. Headlands International Dark Sky Park, Michigan
    An outdoor lighting ordinance helps stop the growth of artificial light at night in surrounding areas, while the land in and around the park has strict limits on outdoor lighting.
  • 5. Big Bend National Park, Texas
    One of the largest, most remote, and least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states, its big distance from major urban centers renders the skies over Big Bend among the darkest in North America.
Charlie Lyon