One of the best stargazing spots in Ontario is less than three hours away from Toronto

In Toronto, spotting Orion’s Belt is a small miracle. The Big Dipper? Maybe, if you can catch it between condo towers and billboard glare. Most nights, the stars don’t stand a chance against the city’s light pollution.

But, just two and a half hours east in Erinsville, the Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area delivers the stars in HD. It’s Ontario’s southernmost dark sky site—and about as close as you’ll get to seeing the night sky the way it looked a century ago: pure, unspoiled and absolutely packed with stars.

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Once your eyes adjust, everything sharpens. Constellations snap into focus. Satellites cruise by. And stretching across it all is the Milky Way, a hazy river of starlight.

If you want a little expert help, show up on a Friday or Saturday near the new moon for a free laser-guided stargazing tour. An astronomer waves a laser pointer across the sky like a cosmic tour guide, calling out constellations, planets and more. You’ll also get to try their 16-inch Dobsonian telescope, which can bring Jupiter’s moons—or even a distant nebula—into surprisingly sharp view. The whole thing runs for about 90 minutes.

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Late summer brings plenty of reasons to look up. On August 10, the Sturgeon Supermoon rises—the biggest, brightest full moon of the season. Just two nights later, the Perseid meteor shower peaks, with dozens of shooting stars an hour. And in mid-September, Neptune reaches opposition, meaning it’ll be visible (with the help of a telescope or a good set of binoculars) all night long.

Bring layers, snacks and a red-filtered flashlight (white light will get you some side-eye) and kill your headlights the second you park. The best part? Stargazing is totally free, and this glow beats your phone’s any night.