An online travel search website has ranked Alberta's Banff National Park as the most "Instagrammable" place to stargaze in Canada this year.
, a website that scans databases to find affordable flights for travellers, compiled a list of the 10 best places to stargaze in Canada, most of which are located in Alberta and British Columbia.
The list, shared with CTVNews.ca, is based on an analysis of 38 national parks in Canada.
Also included in Next Vacay's top five stargazing destinations are Glacier National Park, B.C.; Jasper National Park, Alta.; Yoho National Park, B.C.; and Waterton Lakes National Park, Alta.
"People have been amazed by the stars since the beginning of humankind, so it's no surprise that we have seen demand for stargazing soar in the past year," Next Vacay founder Naveen Dittakavi said in a statement.
"A whole new world opens up at night, and there's something magical about these celestial beings that bring a sense of calm, and help you put life into perspective."
Next Vacay looked at the number of hashtags each park received on Instagram and ranked them based on this, as well as other factors including air pollution and star visibility.
The website also analyzed search terms such as "stargazing near me," "national parks after dark" and "stargazing events near me" using the research tools Ahrefs and Keyword Tool.
The search demand data is as recent as of May 19, 2022, and was analyzed over a 12-month period.
Additional parks that made the list are Fundy National Park, N.B.; Riding Mountain National Park, Man.; Elk Island National Park, Alta.; Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ont.; and Pacific Rim National Park, B.C.
