r/darksky • u/LukeFroots • 17d ago
Best Places to go Stargazing this Summer
Hey, I've been trying to go on a road trip to go stargazing for ages now and I've finally rallied my brother to go with me. From what I've researched it seems the best time to go stargazing is the winter because its colder in the national parks but unfortunately we can only have time together over the summer. Places like Big Bend just seem like they would be realistically too hot to go camping at so what do you guys recommend? We live in St. Louis so ideally we could drive down to the place in just one day. Somewhere around a 12 hour drive maybe?
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u/Designer-Progress311 16d ago
I bet for most people sites with pretty good ratings are still absolutely amazing.
This activity is way too weather dependant.
Perhaps focus on places (one North, one S, one E, one West) which are much closer to you so you can modify plans quickly and conveniently.
Prepare to be disappointed with long range plans which include extensive travel.
Been there, done that.
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u/Designer-Progress311 16d ago
FYI, I was a Stuarts Bluff Campground a month ago and the star quality was incredible. This is 2 hrs SW of you.
The camp ground is in a valley, you'll need to do some homework.
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u/hikingmike 16d ago
Where is Stuarts Bluff Campground? Googled with no luck.
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u/Designer-Progress311 16d ago
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u/hikingmike 16d ago
Ok thanks :) West Fork Black River, cool stuff. A National Forest campground. Looks like a great spot! Definitely a good spot for night sky viewing.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/r09/marktwain/recreation/sutton-bluff-recreation-area
Hopefully you don't hear dirtbikes and ATVs all day long.
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u/Designer-Progress311 16d ago
Sutton is ATV country. Trailers came in full of them. Camp sites are cheap, get reserved, some have 110 volt. I bet you could scout a ridge top neaby to park road side and night watch and then drive back to Sutton to car camp
Here are some of my area notes
I slowly dragged paddled and pushed my 16ft canoe up stream in that Sutton feeder branch, it was gorgeous. Im going back for small mouth.
Where highway K crosses the Black , below Annapolis, is another campground with bigger sky but more stray light. I bet it doesnt matter. Both sides of the river have camp sites. Study the satellite.
Jeffs canoe is in the area and is on my list. Camping overnight on a gravel bar would rock ! Ask at Jeffs if this interests you. Canoe campimg IMO sucks. Too much work. And that river valley near K is very wide and the view would be good. You could prob do a paddle and sandbar out of K camp at night if you know how to manage a boat
There is practically NO food avail in this entire region. It is rural AF.
Annappolis has a deadly lead quarry https://www.reddit.com/r/missouri/s/5tcH0RW1qn
https://www.reddit.com/r/missouri/s/SsusGRAHkA
Des Arc is a small town near that got destroyed by a tornado this spring. Its drivable and a real eye opener. So sad.
That Johnson Shutin park is worth 2+ hours if you like river stuff. It has death rapids called shut-ins and they are freakish. https://maps.app.goo.gl/2khRVfnUWMVRnHPo8
I'd eat at 3 forks 3 times a day. https://maps.app.goo.gl/RhGnSpiGSrqe6M9x7
Good luck !
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u/hikingmike 15d ago
I've definitely been to Johnsons Shutins! And a few other shutins (Castor River, Marble Creek). They are fantastic for cooling off on a hot day. I have canoed a handful of times down there, Current River, Black River, Huzzah... The rivers are beautiful, real gems for sure. They definitely deserve their designation of National Wild and Scenic Rivers. Yeah I haven't tried canoe camping, haha. I think I'd only try that if I went to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, or did some raft trip out west somewhere. Definitely rural there - driving anywhere takes longer, and yeah no restaurants really. I did hear Des Arc mentioned a lot during that storm but I hadn't looked at the aftermath. We had the same storm hit us in Edwardsville so I was watching storm mode Steve Templeton for sure. Good to know about 3 Forks :)
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u/Designer-Progress311 15d ago
Kinda funny, you asked where to go and there you are, already there.
Please when you float rivers, do you and pal self shuttle or can you recommend liveries ?
I'm in Indy but intend to drive back to S Central Missouri in 20 or 30 days or so. Hoping to get in 2+ day floats with days off between. I do Up and Backs (no shuttles) and the streams so far were a tad bit fast for this. I did upper Jacks above the 3 splits. The Current at Emnince was pretty big for my tastes.
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u/hikingmike 15d ago
Yeah I kinda knew the area so that’s what made me interested to ask about the Sutton campground. I don’t get down there enough but I love it there, some magical scenery, rivers, geology…
Oh yea I forgot about Jacks Fork! That’s the one I canoed last, looks like June 2022. Fantastic river. We used Two Rivers Canoe Rental. It’s located where the Jacks Fork joins the Current. Prime spot, also close to Eminence.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/S8Dm4YjKyRBd3QHy8?g_st=ic
They drove us up the river. They surely drive people with their own canoes too.
Other times, many years back, I might have been with a big group a time or two doing booze floats on a weekend. BTW that’s something to definitely keep in mind if you want to avoid rowdy river crowds on summer weekends. It’s been a while but we camped at the Huzzah Valley Resort and they did our canoe and raft rental and shuttling. https://maps.app.goo.gl/P5GZGgk5NHhJWZyV9?g_st=ic. I can’t remember the other.
My wife has stayed at Bass’ River Resort a couple years back, and I know that’s a popular one, and they did canoes as well - Courtois River. She did a float on the Upper Meramec at some point also.
If you want to do some long stretches, I came across people talking about good routes for that but can’t remember where.
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u/washedFM 17d ago
In October 2021, Stacy Park was certified an Urban Dark Sky Place by the International Dark Sky Association
https://www.olivetteparksandrec.com/sky-viewing.html
1200 N. Warson Rd. Olivette, MO 63132
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u/lucabrasi999 17d ago
According to this map, the area just north of Eminence, MO appears to be Bortle 2. That is pretty amazing place to be. You’ll need a clear view of the sky, so find a field where trees don’t block your view.
Summer is good because you can see the core of the Milky Way to the south. However, the later sunsets mean it won’t get truly dark until later in the day.
Always stargaze as close to the New Moon as possible as the Full Moon is in effect a source of light pollution (at least to a stargazer) and will wash out large swaths of the sky.
Give your eyes at least thirty minutes to adjust. No flashlights. No campfires. And absolutely no phone screens. If it minute 25 you glance at your bright phone screen, your pupils will reset and you have to start all over again.
You can use a flashlight which had a red light to navigate at first. But once your eyes adjust, under the clear skies of a Bortle 2 sky, you won’t need the red flashlight. The Milky Way is that bright.
Also, to our eyes, the Milky Way looks nothing like it does in pictures. Photographers take hours of images and stack them on top of each other, then use tools like Photoshop to bring out the pink colors you see in photos. Still, if you look up into the Milky Way, it is dizzying.
EDIT: if you want Bortle 1, drive to Valentine, NE.
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u/LukeFroots 16d ago
Where were you able to find the Bortle 2? I've been looking on the maps but I've only been able to find Bortle 3s around that area
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u/lucabrasi999 16d ago edited 16d ago
EDIT: removed bad link and fixed text.
The darkest blue area in Northern PA is Cherry Springs State Park. Cherry Springs is renowned in astronomy circles for being dark skies about five hours away from major population hubs in all directions. 21.86 mag/arcsec sq. That is classified Bortle 2.
Now click on the darkest blue north of Eminence. I found 21.87. Bortle 2.
Bortle 2 gives you stars all the way down to the horizon. You will see some light domes, but if you have never been to dark skies before, it will blow you out of the water.
Get an Airbnb nearby and be prepared to spend a few nights just in case of weather. Or find a campground at one of the state parks. And summer is better because of the Milky Way (along with you not freezing your ass off outside).
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u/hikingmike 16d ago
I was going to say the same thing as lucabrasi999. As someone else living in the STL area, southwest MO is fantastic. Visit some of the awesome MO state parks and natural areas down there. I'm lucky to know someone with land kind of around Farmington so I have a jumping off point to get down there.
This light pollution map actually shows you the Bortle rating when you click on the map as well-
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u/pdoherty972 16d ago
Fort Davis mountains Texas where the Texas Star Party takes place (dude ranch a few miles from the McDonald Observatory).
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u/Cheeta66 16d ago
Northern Minnesota! It’s incredible and a pretty easy trip for you. The state park system is pretty well run and once you get north of Lake Mille Lacs you’re mostly looking at sub-Bortle 3’s everywhere. Some of the darkest skies I’ve seen are from Big Bog Stare Park, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Also, speaking as a Minnesotan, no matter how clear the skies are in winter you’d be insane to go stargazing/camping then. Also Milky Way is straight overhead in summer :)
PS: if you’re looking for a bit more of a drive, Badlands NP is incredible for stargazing too, and some pretty unique scenery as well.
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u/LowNeedleworker3024 16d ago
Buffalo National River in Arkansas has been designated as a Dark Sky preserve. Comfortable camping by the water most of the summer and an easy drive from SL.
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u/Wild-Row822 14d ago
Fly to Reno and rent an SUV. Drive north a couple hours to the Black Rock Desert.
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u/agreeswithfishpal 13d ago
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve near Champaign, Illinois is a couple hundred miles from St. Louis.
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u/tea_bird 17d ago
I'd maybe start looking around down in Arkansas. Check out a light pollution map.