Pudgy Buffalo

From 150 Things to See, Do & Love: Joshua Tree National Park:

Whether soaking up the light of a full moon, catching shooting stars, or looking into the mesmerizing core of the Milky Way, Joshua Tree National Park is an excellent place to experience nighttime magic. Joshua Tree National Park is a certified Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association, and is noted for its exceptionally starry skies. Visitors to the park do not need to venture deep into the wild backcountry to experience Joshua Tree’s magnificent skies.

Five places in Joshua Tree have been specially marked as stargazing areas. These stargazing areas are:

1. Quail Springs

The parking area for Quail Springs is located off of Park Boulevard, 6 miles southeast of West Entrance Station. The parking area is on the west side of Park Boulevard.

2. Hidden Valley

The parking area for Hidden Valley is located off of Park Boulevard, at the end of the turnoff on the southwest side of the road, about 600 feet north of the intersection of Park Boulevard and Barker Dam Road, near the Hidden Valley Picnic Area.

3. Skull Rock

Skull Rock is located along the east side of Park Boulevard, about 2.8 miles southwest of the intersection of Park Boulevard and Pinto Basin Road.

4. Twin Tanks area

The Twin Tanks parking area is located on the west side of Pinto Basin Road, between Belle Campground and White Tank Campground.

5. Cap Rock

Find the Cap Rock parking area on the east side of Keys View Road, .2 miles from the intersection of Keys View Road and Park Boulevard.

To enhance your stargazing experience, peruse park notices for night sky programs, as well as look for events hosted during the year by nearby area observatories. Check nigh-sky calendars for rare or regularly occurring astronomical phenomena such as full moons, passing comets and meteor showers.

Tip: When stargazing in Joshua Tree bundle up, bring a seat, turn off bright cellphone screens, and switch flashlights to red-light mode.

Enjoy nature’s starry skies!