Stargazing and Dark Sky Tourism

By Indigenous Tourism British Columbia

Grab your star maps and head for the night sky in Indigenous British Columbia. Your wish to see the stars has been granted by Indigenous hosts in low-light and dark-sky destinations in BC.

Welcome to the edge of the world where your search for the distant light of human activity returns only a dark sky perforated by points of light. Stargaze from your oceanside tent or woolgather while you watch astral activity from a hot tub at a world-class resort on the west coast of Vancouver Island in Nuu-chah-nulth Lands. Stare starward from inside a luxury geodesic dome on the Fraser River or sit under starry skies on the sage-covered range where wild horses roam in Tsilquotin and Secwepemc lands in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast.

There aren’t any more stars out here; you can just see them better.

Watch the night sky with your bare eye or stargaze with instruments. Darkness is the destination for witnessing astrological events, including planetary alignments, meteor showers, lunar eclipses, and the super harvest moon.
Travel outside the city limits, head to higher ground to get some clarity, or lose your signal and go for total blackout. Dark sky tourism helps you to see by taking you to dark places.

The Raven's Nest Resort Campground

Tsawaak RV Resort Campground

Darkness is a precious and dwindling resource.

All plants, animals, and living things–including us–need light and dark. We get more grey light–we shut natural light out during the day and illuminate the night artificially. The blue light of our phones and computers can disrupt natural rhythms, making it harder to sleep or stay asleep. Our bodies take cues from the natural environment, including light, to regulate our daily physical responses, habits, and patterns.

Set your eyes to the skies

Credit: Nic Collar

Tunkwa Lake Resort/fishing_with_rod

Reset your natural rhythms.

The natural dark-light cycle prompts the release of melatonin for rest and cortisol for wakefulness. Interference with the natural light-dark cycle disregulates our circadian rhythm. It can negatively affect memory, mood, stress, and hormone levels. Spending dark time in nature helps you reset your natural rhythms.

Darkness–not just for bats!

Darkness is the veil that blankets essential life-sustaining activities of many plants and animals. Artificial light disrupts ecosystems and makes it difficult for frogs to know when to croak or birds to know when it’s time to head south. Darkness is essential to illuminate the owl’s path and hide the mother orca and her calf as they go to and fro at the end of the dock, exhaling into the night. Darkness helps the trees to know winter and us to rest. Darkness marks a trail safe for passage, a clear corridor to hunt, or a quiet place to shed, birth, or heal.

Gitwangak Totem | Northern BC Tourism/Jeanine Philippe

Indigenous cultures and the cosmos.

Indigenous cultures in BC have deep relationships with the night sky.

There are Tlingit stories about the aurora borealis, the 13 moons of the W̱SÁNEĆ guide community seasonal activities, and the Gitksan origin story reflects celestial beings and their cultural significance. Indigenous astronomy and knowledge based on observations of the night sky shared over generations provide valuable information relevant to life on local lands. Much of this knowledge parallels Western science and reveals it from unique cultural perspectives that also offer wisdom on our place in the world as impermanent observers of the infinite and the great mystery that shows itself when we look into the face of the night sky.

Dark nights make good days.

Spend a light-free night in nature to decrease stress, improve sleep, and increase sensitivity to sound, movement, and low light. Get closer to the darkness and find your way by moonlight and starlight glinting off oyster shells and white stones.

Low-light destinations to explore in Indigenous BC

Credit: Northern BC Tourism/Jeanine Philippe

Tunkwa Lake Resort

Logan Lake, British Columbia

Cabins | Campground | Fishing | Hiking

*NEW – Opening July 1, 2024* Located in the Thompson Nicola region, Tunkwa Lake Resort offers luxury and rustic cabins, RV campsites, and tenting sites. Known as a premier fishing destination, guests will enjoy boat rentals, expert advice, and nearby hiking, biking, birding, and wildlife viewing.

tunkwalakeresort.com

The Raven’s Rest Resort & Campground

Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia

Glamping | Domes | Cabins | Campground

The Raven’s Rest Resort & Campground is located just 4 km north of Fairmont Hot Springs, BC, a part of Akisknuk First Nation. The resort offers king and family glamping domes, now available for rental, as well as log cabins and tent sites. Raven’s Rest hosts the newest 18-hole disc golf course in the Columbia Valley and owners highly recommend a float on the Columbia River during the hot summer months.

ravensnestresort.com

The Raven’s Rest Resort & Campground

Alpha Mountain Lodging

Revelstoke, British Columbia

Cabins | Sauna

Alpha Mountain Lodging is a hidden gem nestled on 25 acres just 4km from Revelstoke, BC, at the base of Boulder Mountain. It is a small indigenous family-owned paradise. Four fully equipped, modern-rustic lodges offer complete privacy set in stunning mountain vistas. Experience the ultimate in comfort for relaxation or adventure with their modern amenities, including a cedar-barrel sauna and a gear drying room.

alphamountainlodging.com

Fraser Canyon Riverside Domes at Great River Fishing

Hope, British Columbia

Glamping | Domes | Fishing

State-of-the-art geodesic domes represent the new standard for all things glamping. Stargaze from inside your dome and enjoy 550 square feet of living space heated with a propane fireplace to achieve your maximum comfort level. Enjoy the wood-burning cedar hot tub next to the river.

greatriverfishing.com

Fraser Canyon Riverside Domes

Cheam Fishing Village and Campground

Agassiz, British Columbia

Campground | RV Park | Fishing

Cheam Fishing Village and Campground is located on the banks of the Fraser River with access to spectacular salmon, trout, and sturgeon fishing. The campground, an ancient fishing village on Cheam First Nation territory, Pilalt Tribal grounds, is where Stó:lō people have fished for over 10,000 years.

cheamfishingvillage.com

Tsawaak Cabins and RV Resort

Tofino, British Columbia

Campground | RV Park

Owned and operated by Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, Tsawaak RV Resort offers private access to Mackenzie Beach and popular hikes and attractions on Vancouver Island. The name Tsawaak is derived from His-shuk-nish-tsa-waak, meaning “we are all one,” honouring a deep connection to nature and the land.

tsawaakrvresort.ca

Tsawaak Cabins and RV Resort

Pachena Bay Campground

Bamfield, British Columbia

Campground | RV Park

At the mouth of the Pachena River near Bamfield, Vancouver Island, the Huu-ay-aht First Nations Pachena Bay Campground offers a retreat for campers and RV enthusiasts. The spectacular campground is the gateway to the West Coast Trail, set amidst old-growth rainforest next to the Pacific Ocean.

pachenabaycampground.ca

Arctic Divide Lodge

Dease Lake, British Columbia

Cabins | Short Term Stay

Arctic Divide Lodge is an Indigenous-owned, sustainable, rustic lodge with modern comforts in Dease Lake along the scenic Stewart-Cassiar Highway. Deriving its name from the Pacific-Arctic watershed boundary from which all rivers flow north, the family-owned and operated lodge is on the lands of the Tahltan Nation.

arcticdivide.com

Arctic Divide Lodge

Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort

Ainsworth, British Columbia

Hotel | Spa | Hot Spring

Located mountainside overlooking Kootenay Lake, Ainsworth Hot Springs Resort is a four-season destination owned by Yaqan Nukiy, the Lower Kootenay Band of Creston. The hot springs share the nupika wu’u, or hot mineral waters, first enjoyed by the Ktunaxa People after hunting, fishing, and gathering.

ainsworthhotsprings.com

‘Ksan Campground

Hazelton, British Columbia

Campground | RV Park

Ksan Campground is located along the scenic Skeena and Bulkley Rivers in Hazelton, Northern BC, on the land of the Gitxsan Nation. Guests can connect with nature via the forest and river trails and experience the heritage of the Gitxsan People at the adjacent ‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum.

ksancampground.ca

‘Ksan Campground

Gorge Harbour Marina Resort

Whaletown, Cortes Island, British Columbia

Marina | Lodge | Cottage | RV Park | Campsite | Domes

Located on Cortes Island by the tranquil waters of Desolation Sound, Gorge Harbour Marina Resort offers a blend of comfort and adventure on the traditional territories of the Klahoose, Homalco, and Tla’amin First Nations.

Fully owned by the Klahoose First Nation, the resort boasts twenty-one full-service RV sites, six tent sites, and six brand-new glamping domes. For those seeking more private accommodations, four cozy rooms are available at the Lodge, along with the secluded Poolside Cottage.

Amenities include a BBQ, an outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a marina with 1,800 feet of protected docks providing secure moorage for boats of all sizes.

gorgeharbour.com

Looking for more places to stay?

Indigenous-owned Hotels, Motels & Short-term Stays

Indigenous-owned Campgrounds, RV Parks & Cabins

Wells Gray Provincial Park | Nic Collar