DarkSky - Wisconsin

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Wisconsin’s Dark Sky Resources

Wisconsin Light Pollution Map

by John Rummel (darksky2500@gmail.com)

A quick glance at a light pollution map of the United States is all you need to see to realize that the two halves of the US are not created equal. Wisconsin sits firmly in the eastern half of the country, where light intensity levels are much higher than in the west.

The color coding on the map is explained in the note at the end of this page, but the gist should be clear: brighter colors (white/red/orange/yellow) indicate areas with the highest levels of artificial light. The darker colors (blues and grays) represent the darkest and most remote areas.

And Wisconsin has no statewide laws or regulations to limit the use of artificial lights, though several individual municipalities and state/federal lands have made efforts to limit the growth and negative effects of artificial light.

Let’s take a closer look at the state.

Most of Wisconsin’s light pollution lies within the southeastern part of the state. As the maps indicate, the region bounded by Green Bay in the north, Kenosha in the south, and extending westward about 100 miles from Lake Michigan forms the densest concentration of artificial light in the state. By contrast, the southwestern and central regions of the state are darker, and the northern quarter of the state has the largest regions of unbroken blues and grays on the Lorenz maps.

For the past two decades, DarkSky International has been certifying locations that make a commitment to limiting the effects of light pollution. Wisconsin currently has one DarkSky International certified location: Newport State Park located on the Door peninsula. The Apostle Islands NationalLakeshore in the northern tier of the state, and Kickapoo Valley Reserve in the southwest are both currently working to achieve the DarkSky International certification. More recently, a group has formed to achieve the same result for Copper Falls State Park in the north. We’re also aware of a number of efforts by smaller cities and municipalities to achieve Dark Sky Community status, where more populated areas commit to enacting lighting ordinances and educating their residents about best practices in outdoor lighting.

Those wishing to find dark places in Wisconsin can still do so. Regardless of the part of the state you live in, darker skies may only be an hour or two away by car. And there is much you can do to help reverse the trend toward brighter skies.

Join DarkSky Wisconsin to learn more.

About the maps

All of the light pollution maps used here are from David Lorenz’s excellent Light Pollution Atlas 2022. The color coding on the maps roughly corresponds to:

• White: Opaque urban skies (Chicago/Milwaukee)

• Red/Orange: Bright suburban skies (Madison/Green Bay)

• Yellow: Typical suburban skies

• Green: Suburban to rural transition

• Blue: Dark rural skies/transition to remote

• Gray/Black: Remote areas, radically dark, typical of premier star parties and protected wilderness areas

Wisconsin’s international Dark Sky places

PROTECTING THE DARK SKY PLACES: ONE STAR AT A TIME

Below are a few of the dark sky initiatives around the state, efforts you can join to help protect Wisconsin’s dark sky places and keep the stars shining bright. For more information, contact the individual organizations listed below.

• APOSTLE ISLANDS NATIONAL LAKESHORE

The “Starry Skies Initiative” of Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is working with the National Park Service and the local communities of Bayfield, Red Cliff, Washburn, and Ashland to preserve some of the darkest skies in the Midwest over the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. For more information, contact Friends of the Apostle Islands, P.O. Box 1574, Bayfield, WI 54814 (715)449-6900 or visit their website at friendsoftheapostleislands.org.

• KICKAPOO VALLEY/WILDCAT STATE PARK

The Kickapoo Valley Dark Sky Initiative is a collaboration between Kickapoo Valley Reserve, Wildcat Mountain State Park, and Mississippi Valley Conservancy to prevent light pollution and protect dark skies in and around a combined 13,300 acres along the Kickapoo River in Wisconsin’s Vernon County. The Initiative is a conservation initiative focused on providing education and resources for individuals, businesses, and communities to prevent light pollution and protect dark skies in the Kickapoo Valley, and beyond. For more information, visit http://kvr.state.wi.us/Natural-Features/Dark-Sky.

• COPPER FALLS STATE PARK

  The Town of Morse Comprehensive Planning Committee, working with the Copper Falls State Park superintendent, the City of Mellen, and the Park Friends group are seeking a DarkSky International designation for Copper Falls State Park. This initiative pursues our economic, recreational, and community development objectives. The Park’s quality night sky is a resource for astrotourism and education. The Park Naturalist is preparing a relevant summer program, the superintendent is on board with protective artificial light management, and we are outlining an aggressive policy advocacy program and educational outreach on light pollution. The target group is our seventh generation who will enjoy and be awe-struck by the Milky Way on a starry night. For more information contact Jim Brennan, james.m.brennan@gmail.com or 715-274-3405.

Wisconsin’s Only Dark Sky Park!

Newport State Park

Ellison Bay, WI

Wisconsin’s only wilderness state park became the first state park in Wisconsin to be designated by International Dark Sky Places (IDSP) as an International Dark Sky Park, the only park in Wisconsin to hold the distinction. Located at the far end of the Door Peninsula and on the shores of Lake Michigan, Newport State Park is one of the darkest spots in the state. The park is one place where you will find out what a dark sky truly looks like, making it a prime destination for anyone from casual stargazers to astronomers. For more information, visit https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/newport.

More resources (coming soon)

• Wisconsin’s Light Pollution Ordinances

• Wisconsin’s Astronomy Clubs

• Wisconsin’s Planetariums and Observatories

Wisconsin Dark Sky Proclamations

Events and Volunteer Opportunities

Upcoming events

Stay tuned

Past Events

Join us in person or on virtual on the library Facebook and YouTube on Thursday, March 28 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Paul Bogard, Associate Professor of English and Environmental Studies at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota will discuss the impact artificial lights have on the environment and what humans can do to maintain a darker night sky.

Click here to watch the recording of the presentation.