Last Minute Summer Getaway Ideas: Natural Wonders

Trying to plan that last-minute summer get-away? Check out 50 States, 50 Spots: Natural Wonders for some inspiration.

The natural wonder selected for Pennsylvania is Cherry Springs State Park:

Twinkling skies

This is a perfect spot for a starry night. The precise coordinates on Earth (41.6501 degrees north, 77.8164 degrees west) of Cherry Springs State Park give a window onto the Milky Way's nucleus.

There are several other reasons stargazers love this place. The park, in Pennsylvania's Potter County, sits atop a 2,300-foot high Allegheny Plateau, surrounded by the remote Susquehannock State Forest. And the nights are famously darker here in the world's second Gold Tier-ranked Dark Sky Park (the International Dark-Sky Association's highest rating for stargazing) than in many places across the United States.

On a good night, you can see 10,000 stars. The park has shielded its lights and has converted its visible white light to red light, a color complement to the park's trees.