The Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California

© Matt Anderson Photography/Getty Image

A sky full of stars. The Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, California

The iconic view from Zabriskie Point in Death Valley National Park draws photographers and tourists all year round. Eons of wind and water carved out these stunning striped rock formations in an array of colors left from layers of mudstone deposited in ancient Furnace Creek Lake more than five million years ago. Today, the primal landscapes of Death Valley still boast some of the darkest skies and best star gazing in North America. Designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2013, the national park hosts the Death Valley Dark Skies Festival every February.