Newport was the first Wisconsin wilderness state park and became the first in Wisconsin and the forty-ninth in the world to receive International Dark Sky Park designation. At the far edge of the Door Peninsula, its wilderness character and geographic position along eleven miles of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline create a welcomed absence of artificial light and remarkably dark nights. The United States Wilderness Act of 1964 identifies the opportunity for solitude as a defining quality of true wilderness, and Newport offers that solitude through stargazing in its remote, wild spaces. To receive Dark Sky designation, Newport's night sky was measured with a photometer, and at its darkest location it reached 22.52, earning Gold Tier designation alongside places such as Bryce Canyon National Park and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The International Dark Sky Association defines a Dark Sky Park as land with exceptional starry nights and a nocturnal environment protected for scientific, natural, educational, cultural, and public enjoyment, and the Newport Wilderness Society advocates preserving Newport's wilderness and natural night sky through minimal development essential for visitor education and safety.