cook county
dark sky festival
december 11-13, 2025
Cook County–and the gunflint trail–is home to one of the darkest skies in the world.
Every year, explorers, adventurers, artists and photographers from around the world travel to Cook County to experience the northern lights and night sky. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) has been named as one of only 17 certified International Dark Sky Sanctuaries in the world!
festival highlights
activities and events happening on the upper gunflint trail and in grand marais:
presentations by NASA Artemis scientists
step inside the UMD Planetarium
Dark Skies Meet & Greet with author Kelsey Oseid
coffee & cosmos chat friday morning at borderland lodge
…and don’t miss the perseid meteor showers happening throughout the event, and peaking 12/12-12/13!
This event also features:
Telescope Viewing & rentals
Presentations
Painting the Night Sky
Family-Friendly Activities
