Officials at Quetico Provincial Park in northwestern Ontario say they're working to obtain a special international designation for the park — one that celebrates the lack of light pollution in the area.

Trevor Gibb, the park superintendent, told CBC News they're trying to get Quetico recognized as a dark sky preserve by the United States-based International Dark-Sky Association. Dark sky preserves are designated areas where there is little to no artificial light; that core is surrounded by a populated periphery while rules and regulations protect the core dark zone from light pollution.

Park staff have been out at all hours of the night collecting readings to measure the amount of light in the sky, Gibb said, adding that data will help demonstrate just how dark the skies are above the park at night.

"When people go wilderness canoeing or camping in our campgrounds [they're] staring up at the night sky, looking at the constellations and just appreciating the beauty of the night sky," Gibb said of the importance of preserving the dark nighttime skies in the park.

"It's really a part of camping and so important to the visitor experience."

The International Dark-Sky Association's website says it has certified over 120 "dark sky places" around the world. Canadian organizations like Parks Canada and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada also grant similar designations.

The International Dark Sky Association has listed over 120 certified dark sky places around the world. (Ontario Parks/submitted)

Lake Superior Provincial Park was designated a dark sky preserve by the Canadian astronomical society in August 2018.

Gibb said he hopes to submit Quetico's application to the U.S. organization within the year.

Quetico is located about 150 kilometres west of Thunder Bay near Atikokan.

Gibb said they'll also have to upgrade the outdoor lighting at the Dawson Trail Campground and some of the park's buildings to be "night-sky friendly," which means it doesn't contribute to light pollution.

"When you're in Quetico, you're far away from major sources of light pollution, so major urban centres," Gibb said. "You can see a lot of stars, a lot of constellations and if you're lucky enough to see the northern lights, that's a possibility too."

Gibb said efforts to get Quetico designated as a dark sky preserve go hand-in-hand with similar efforts at nearby provincial and U.S. national parks and other sites to "recognize the exceptional night skies that we already have in the region."