Headlands International Dark Sky Park

We've only been here during the day. But it's beautiful and serene. There's a long drive in and then a walk to the water. I imagine that helps keep the light pollution down at night. There's a wide open space that would be perfect for viewing the sky. There is a building with a gathering space for events and bathrooms.

This place is absolutely beautiful and a great place to see the stars. Unfortunately, the day we went, it was cloudy so we were not able to see anything much. The seating area is very nice by the water, they have green space for people who wish to lay down or concrete area for people who wish to bring their chairs. The washrooms are clean and the gift shop area is open until 10pm. Please be mindful that there is only red light permitted in the entire area. Cellphones will need to be changed to dark mode with red light filter. Parking lot was small so you might want to come in early. Come before sunset, there is a beautiful view of the sunset over lake Michigan.

This place is one the best sky gazing spots in upper Michigan. The staff has maintained the place extremely well.
Follow the trail to the right from the parking lot, to enter the sky viewing arena.
Even during day times this place has scenic views and comfy lakeshore.
To see the northern lights, go to Gulpin point.
To see the Milky Way, visit this place from 11-3am

Hoped to catch the Northern Lights. Not this time, but what a beautiful beach! We went one day when it was drizzling. No one there but us. Still breathtaking! The next night was clear. Saw the Blue Supermoon glistening over the water. Camera couldn't capture its beauty. It was like a scene in a movie. Can't wait to go there again ❣

Incredible place to see the stars and the planets. We were lucky to have clear skies and had great views of the stars, Milky Way and International Space Station. There was a shooting star, but I missed it. Incredibly knowledgeable staff was out with telescopes to allow guests to view the moon, planets, nebula, etc. There are areas to set up chairs and grassy areas to lay out on blankets or sit on the concrete walls. This isn't the best place to view the sunset, but the views of the night sky are unmatched. I highly recommend it! No 'white-light' flashlights, phones, etc are allowed. I recommend bringing a red-light camera with you. There are some red lights in the viewing area, but the walk back to the parking lot is unlit and very dark. The gift shop may have lights for sale and I believe they have free redlight film covers for phones.

We got to experience two nights, the first was very cloudy, the second clear. I will only say we need less light pollution. The sky's are beautiful.

We have been here at night before and it's amazing. Today we returned to hike some trails during the day and the fall colors made it a beautiful hike. We were rewarded at the end with an empty beach and a rainbow. Breathtaking. Highly recommend doing this!

We stopped here for a short visit, but we will definitely be back! During the day, it is free to enter the park just to explore & check it out. The trail along the shoreline is super rocky, but super cool for a neat walk (it makes you feel like you are a million miles away from civilization😊). My kids had a blast just wandering the trails. We will be back for a night time event, at some point.

STUNNING dark skies park on the lake shores with great walking paths and well defined observation areas. Real cool facility and thinking about going back again as we didn't get to see the Northern Lights last night... it was still gorgeous!

If you are in the area...passing through or staying overnight. Put this park on the bucket list. Night would be great, but the daytime was excellent. Found some interesting rocks. The park, the beach,
building is very nice, 2 miles from I-75. There was so much to soak in. I could have stayed there for hours. Loved it so much that my family rented the Guest House (sleeps 20). Can't wait!

Came back for 2nd time and it was great. First time here was 2020 when things were starting to open and they were not yet. This time they brought out telescopes and interacted with people for a few hours super helpful answered and questions we had. The gift shop employee was helpful with getting the phone switched to red.

This is the place to go if you’re a stargazer, astronomer, or just looking for beautiful views of the water. The staff are very friendly and helpful. The “store” is open until 12:00 am and serve coffee and other snacks/drinks. You can stop in for a souvenir or two as well. If you are in the area, I highly recommend stopping here.

Really nice dark park with indoor restrooms, event center, gift shop, and tiered outdoor seating for star gazing or picnic. Grounds are really well kept. We were there for a wedding and after party.

We very much enjoyed our family trip to the Headlands this weekend. It was too cloudy to see many stars, but the sunset didn't disappoint. We stayed at the Stargazing House at the park and will definitely keep it in mind for future visits. The house was clean and perfect for the six of us - three bedrooms (sleeps 8), 2 baths, full kitchen, and the Manager, Jamie Westfall, was nice to work with. The location is close to Mackinaw City, Wilderness State Park, McGulpin Point Lighthouse, historic Heritage Village, and more.

Incredible experience! We visited during the day and the setting was spectacular and serene. We went back that night to star gaze, it's really cool when you see a shooting star and hear the crowd ooh and ahh! The facility is clean and they offer refreshments and snacks at a very reasonable price but you can also bring your own snacks. Sometimes they have lectures in their auditorium where they have surround screens showing the night sky. Some people share their telescopes for anyone to look through. A must see!

Don't be fooled the small parking lot fills by 6:00 p.m. on clear nights. The Overflow walk is slightly over mile. That said it's so worth it. The stars are amazing. I drove 6+hrs and will do it again.

Visiting over the weekend. Wanted to see the stars in the night sky. However there was too much cloud cover along with the rain which kept us from enjoying the stars. We made the best of it and explored the park. Very clean. Trails where clearly marked. The was no entrance fee. Great parking spaces.

Ww didn't really get to explore a lot because the center was closed but walking down to the shore was very beautiful. Can't wait to come back when it's a little warmer.

It was well worth our 4hr drive! We arrived a little before 9pm and were able to walk around the waterfront. Then sit and watch the sun go down, listening to the water against the shore. (Pack good bug spray. The mosquitoes are hardy up there.) Staying until midnight allowed us to see a bunch of stars with our eyes (though normal visibility was lessened by the haze from the Canada wildfires). The employees also had two telescopes set up to show us the Moon, Venus, and various other stars as the night progressed. You're required to turn electronics with white light down as far as possible, and only allowed to use red light flashlights to prevent hampering everyone's night vision. Bring snacks and books and enjoy a peaceful evening in the outdoors.

Very nice ..quiet and calm to cloudy to see stars 🌟 but we got a half of a sunset to many trees beautiful