Flagstaff is the undisputed birthplace of the global Dark Sky movement. In 2001, it was officially designated as the World’s First International Dark Sky City, but its dedication to protecting the stars dates back to 1958, when the city passed the world’s first outdoor lighting ordinance to protect the night sky for the nearby Lowell Observatory.

For photographers, Flagstaff offers a drastic departure from the typical desert Southwest nightscape. Situated at 7,000 feet in elevation, the atmosphere here is incredibly thin and transparent. Instead of red rock, you shoot the Milky Way through dense silhouettes of towering Ponderosa pine trees, against the backdrop of the 12,600-foot San Francisco Peaks, or over pitch-black volcanic lava fields.

Because the city's lighting is strictly regulated and features low-pressure sodium (amber) fixtures, the ambient light pollution is not only minimal but visually pleasing, casting a warm, cinematic glow on the undersides of clouds. The high elevation means that winter photography here is freezing and snowy, while summer brings dramatic monsoon thunderstorms that make for incredible twilight lightning shots.