Death Valley National Park is an excellent place for stargazing and is one of the darkest of all National Parks. Frequently cloudless skies and low light pollution levels due to limited development allow professionals and amateurs to see many heavenly bodies after dark. Although the skies are extremely dark compared to skies in more populated areas of the United States, they are still affected by a noticeable glows from Las Vegas and the central valley.

Although the National Park Service has limited influence over the neon glows of Las Vegas, it is trying to reduce the amount of local light pollution. National Parks can do this by using outdoor light fixtures that direct light to the ground rather than sideways or upwards, and by eliminating outdoor lighting where it is unnecessary. A plan for doing so is currently being developed at Death Valley National Park. Collecting data on the current state and general trends of nighttime visibility is also important to solving the problem of light pollution. To this end, night sky conditions are monitored at the park annually by a traveling team of scientists.