Dark-sky places in California

Stargazing in California

California’s protected dark skies are mostly in its southern deserts, where rugged terrain and harsh climate have kept development away. Joshua Tree National Park is the nearest convenient dark sky for the greater Los Angeles area, though its western side picks up glow from Palm Springs and nearby towns. In San Diego County, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park surrounds Borrego Springs, the first Dark Sky Community in California, and the mountain town of Julian joined it in 2021. Death Valley, on the Nevada line, holds DarkSky’s top Gold tier. In the Sierra Nevada, Under Canvas Yosemite became California’s first DarkSky Approved lodging.

Under Canvas Yosemite

Under Canvas Yosemite is a safari-style glamping camp on 80 acres of forested Sierra Nevada mountainside, about 10 minutes from Yosemite National Park’s Big Oak Flat entrance. Its outdoor lighting was assessed and brought up to DarkSky standards, and it was California’s first DarkSky Approved lodging. Tents have private decks, and its Stargazer tents add a viewing window above the bed. Evenings bring campfires and stargazing, and a stop for YARTS, the regional transit system, right outside the entrance serves Yosemite Valley. The camp is seasonal, open from mid-April to late October.

Julian, California

Julian is a historic gold-rush mountain town of about 1,000 people in central San Diego County, known for its apples. The volunteer Julian Dark Sky Network, founded in 2015, worked with San Diego County to change the county lighting ordinance, which made the unincorporated town eligible for certification in 2021. The network’s goals include year-round public astronomy activities, so check its website for upcoming star nights. It shares San Diego County’s lighting rules with Borrego Springs, the region’s other Dark Sky Community.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California’s largest state park and the second-largest in the US, about a two-hour drive from San Diego, with 12 wilderness areas and about 110 miles of hiking trails. The park protects part of the Colorado Desert, along with California fan palms and desert bighorn sheep. Borrego Springs sits in the middle of the park and is its main local light source, so the town’s careful lighting helps keep the park dark. Summers bring intense heat and winter nights can be very cold, so dress for the season.

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park spans the high Mojave and low Colorado deserts and is the closest convenient dark sky for the Los Angeles area. The western half is brightened by glow from Palm Springs and the Morongo Basin, while the eastern side borders the last large pool of natural darkness in Southern California. The Park Service designates four stargazing areas, the parking lots at Quail Springs, Hidden Valley, Cap Rock and Ryan Mountain, where you must stay awake and close to your car. The park also holds an annual Night Sky Festival.

Borrego Springs, California

Borrego Springs is a desert town about 88 miles northeast of San Diego, surrounded by the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. In 2009 it became California’s first International Dark Sky Community and the second in the world after Flagstaff. Its Dark Sky Coalition, formed in 2007, educates residents and visitors about responsible lighting, and the town hosts astronomy events year-round. The sky is not perfectly dark, but it shows what coastal Southern California cannot see. Check the Moon’s phase and rise and set times before you plan your night.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park lies mostly in California, and its sky is rated Gold tier, DarkSky’s highest level. The park has no closing time. The Park Service suggests visiting near the new Moon and choosing a large open area with some elevation, since low spots such as Badwater Basin lose stars behind the high mountains. Photographers often use Zabriskie Point, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Harmony Borax Works. Rangers lead night sky programs in winter, and each spring the park holds a multi-day festival with ranger programs and NASA guest speakers.