Milky Way over Acadia National Park, Maine

© Harry Collins/Getty Image

Starry, starry night. Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia is one of the smallest of America’s 63 national parks, though it attracts an impressive three million visitors a year. Aside from its natural beauty, Acadia has some of the most spectacular star-filled night skies in the eastern United States. The natural darkness is protected, with restrictions on outdoor lighting in the park and surrounding areas. The Acadia Night Sky Festival, which started on September 21 and continues through tomorrow, celebrates the natural darkness and the celestial star show. A favourite way to mark the occasion is by kayaking in Castine's Harbor, where bioluminescent phytoplankton illuminate the water with a swirling, unearthly glow. With sparkling waters below and out-of-this-world stargazing above, it’s been called Acadia’s ‘Floating Planetarium.’