Headlands International Dark Sky Park

We didn’t get to see much as we picked a bad moon phase with clouds, but the park itself was absolutely breathtaking! The paths were fairly well lit (though I do recommend bringing a small flashlight anyways as they’re lit with red lights. Just be sure to keep them pointed at the ground!) and the observatory was also stunning. We hiked out on the shore of the lake and got some great pictures as well. We definitely plan on going back on a better, warmer night to see more of the night sky!

Decided to go check this out, and while the building itself was closed, the walkway to the lake wasn't. It was totally worth going. The view was jaw-dropping!! We returned later that night, and The Night Sky was stunning 😍 You can literally see the stars 🌟 There are no city lights that conceal it!! Literally pitch black with "red lights" to walk pathway ... I couldn't take pictures of the stars, my phone wouldn't have done the stars justice!! Trust me, if you get the chance, it is well worth visiting!!

Let me just preface that we LOVED our visit however... there are just a few things that made it not a 5-star experience. We visited on the first weekend of November, and we went out to the observing area around 9:30pm - 11:30pm (we eventually got very cold haha). 1) Across the water of the Observation area, it was easy to see lights from the shoreline (buildings and vehicles (?)) so we felt that took away from it being a "dark sky" viewing experience 2) When cars are coming or starting up to leave from the parking lot, the headlights will shine directly in the direction of the observing area. So despite everyone's best efforts to follow the rules, the dark skies atmosphere is hindered by that. You can't blame the cars though, they need to navigate safely. (We do think this second point can easily be solved by putting up some sort of wall that would block out the headlights. I bet the wall could be super cool with educational anecdotes and art, and it'd make for a fun lead up to the viewing area) 3) We easily tripped over the stairs in the dark lol. Granted this could be more our faults than not, but the red lights along the steps maybe could be increased to make sure people can see where it is. Aside from those points, it was SUPER cool to come out. The view during the day is gorgeous and the night sky is still incredible despite the occasional intruding light. We came in hopes of seeing aurora but the solar activity was not in our favor. Even though there were intermittent clouds, they seemed to move in and out quite quickly and we had a grand time. We also stayed at the on site Stargazing House which we'd highly recommend! It was large and even came with a telescope that we could tinker with. We could see some great stars just sitting in the backyard even with a fire going on. I only wish it wasn't at the VERY beginning of the park because any and all cars driving by, would have their lights on too...

The Headlands Dark Sky Park is a hidden gem on the outskirts of Mackinaw City. The park is located on side roads and can be hard to find. Once you get to the entrance, you must go down a long, forested, and twisty back road that is a little creepy. There is a parking lot for those that decide to drive. The park is rather large and offers excellent, clean, and maintained viewing areas. There is a light ban and only red light is permitted. The park has a ton of red lamps that give you enough light to see where you are going. The night sky there was ridiculously beautiful and I had never seen the sky so clear before. You will see many constellations there. Whoever maintains the park does a great job too. I would recommend visiting this park if you want to experience the cosmos and create a wonderful memory. I would also check to see if they have any special events coming up as they host many viewing parties. The park is free to get in.

Come for the sunset, stay for the stars. Lovely staff that help first time viewers get the best seats and enjoy our amazing solar system. We went on a clear night so we could see the Milky Way galaxy. It truly is amazing. You can bring food and drinks, chairs and blankets, just make sure to clean up after yourself. Definitely worth the drive and the wait to see the sky become fully dark. So many beautiful stars.

Absolutely loved this place! Best to arrive early as it did get rather crowded as the sun sat. It was worth it for the sunset alone but did realize you can see way more stars from the parking lot than we did by the water.

We were there for the planetary alignment. We were the only ones there because it was -11°. It was so cold, the trees were crackling. Well marked for parking and the path to the viewing area. Plus, not sure how, but it was well shoveled and plowed so we were able to get there even in Pitch Black and extreme weather conditions. I'm not sure what the strong glow on the Southwest Horizon was. It didn't stop the ability to look straight up to see all the stars but it did make some light pollution on that edge of your viewing.

The short walk from the parking lot to the viewing area was well lit and well maintained. The views were amazing and we enjoyed talking to other stargazers visiting the park