Anything is a UFO… If you’re Dumb Enough.
As a teen, I was really, really dumb. Dumb enough to think every far-off airplane was an alien spaceship. Maybe it was wishful thinking that caused me to think that way. But that doesn’t discredit the things other people observe that can’t be identified. Admittedly, my astronomy knowledge is still limited. But it’s still super fun to look up at the sky and wonder. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best UFO hotspots in America.
Before we get into the list, lets reiterate what a UFO is and what it is not. The term Unidentified Flying Object has become a synonym for alien craft. But it can be anything. Any person who doesn’t know what they saw in the sky, saw a UFO. I have no doubt that people who report UFOs saw something. I also believe them when they say they don’t know what it was. But that doesn’t mean aliens. Some studies have showed that UFOs are reported less often in areas where astronomy education is better. Literally anything in the sky can be a UFO, if you’re dumb enough.
Best UFO Hotspots in America
Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ (1236 reported UFOs) according to the US census in 2021, Phoenix has a population of 1.6 million people. Reports of UFOs date all the way back to the 1950s giving it a long history of sightings. Arizona states total UFO report count is 4600. If you do go to Phoenix to watch for UFOs, your best bet is to stay a little way outside the city. With such a high population, light pollution would make it hard to see some objects. Tonto National Monument lies about 100 miles from Phoenix and is a great location for sky watching.
Seattle
Seattle, WA (1147 reported UFOs) with a population just over 700,000, Seattle is quite a bit smaller than phoenix. reports of UFOs in Seattle also date back to the 1950s making this one of the best UFO hotspots in America. State wide, Washington has 6700 total number of UFOs reported. Even though Seattle has a sizable population, much of the sky is visible from most of the beaches and parks. Alki Beach sits in west Seattle is said to have a good view of the northern skies. But with the surrounding territory of foot hills, rivers, and trails, its not hard to find a decent place to watch for UFOs.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA (897 reported UFOs) Los Angeles has a large population of 3.9 million people. UFO reports date back all the way to 1920, giving this city one of the longest histories of UFO sightings. The state of California has a total number of UFO sightings greater than 15,000. With Los Angeles high population, and high levels of pollution, there are very few areas for sky watching. Griffith Park Observatory is a good option on a clear night. Access to Griffith Park is free, however its only open until 10pm. A second option is Topanga State Park which sits roughly 25 miles away. Topanga State Park has a campground, but you do have to hike in about a mile.
New York City
New York City, NY (830 reported UFOs) New York City has an incredibly dense population of 8.4 million people packed into 302 square miles. UFO reports in New York City date back to the mid-1940s. state wide, there have been over 5000 reports of unidentified flying objects. Like most big cities, sky watching in New York City is difficult due to the amount of light and human made pollution. Your best bed would probably be to find a camp ground a good distance outside of the city to stay at. However, according to Spacetourismguide.com, Lincoln Center, Carl Schurz Park, and Pupin Physics Laboratories are all good places to go to see the night sky.
Chicago
Chicago, IL (723 reported UFOs) Chicago has a decent sized population of just over 2.7 million people. UFO reports from Chicago date back to the 1940s and since then, state wide Illinois has 4025 total reports. The high population and heavy industry make sky watching a futile affair. However, Hickory Knolls, Cantigny Park, and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore are all said to be good areas to go sky watching. There is also Palos Preserves which is considered one of the largest urban places to sky watch in the world.
Report UFOs
Just because the vast majority of objects observed can be identified by a knowledgeable person, doesn’t necessarily mean that there aren’t aliens flying around and abducting livestock. I absolutely love the idea of alien visitors. And if you’re like me, UFO watching can be a fun weekend trip. Maybe you’ll see aliens. Maybe you’ll see swamp gas.
If you do see something strange in the sky, you should report it to the national UFO reporting center. Their site features a database of all the UFO reports used to build this list. If you’re interested, you can look at your own state and see what kind of reports are coming from your local area. Unfortunately, there is no sort by city feature. So it does take some time to go through it all.
Availible now: get your very own “Anything is a UFO if you’re dumb enough,” shirt. Remind your friends and family that just because they don’t know what it is, doesn’t make it aliens.