The Milky Way

Our galaxy appears as a bright, detailed river of light stretching from horizon to horizon. You'll see the dark dust lanes, the bright galactic core rising in the south, and countless star clusters with your naked eye. On the darkest nights, the Milky Way is bright enough to cast faint shadows.
Best viewing: Late June through early September, 1-2 hours after sunset, looking south.

Planets

Without light pollution, planets appear startlingly bright and colorful:
Jupiter: Appears cream-colored; with binoculars you can see its four largest moons
Saturn: Golden-hued; visible spring through fall
Mars: Distinctly orange-red when visible
Venus: Brilliant "evening star" or "morning star" depending on season
Download a stargazing app (SkyView, Star Walk 2, SkySafari) to know which planets are visible during your stay.

Meteor Showers

In dark skies, meteor showers are spectacular. You might see 50-100+ meteors per hour during peak showers:
Perseids: August 11-12 (best summer shower)
Eta Aquarids: May 5-6 On any given night, even without a meteor shower, you'll typically see 5-10 "shooting stars" per hour in our dark skies.

Deep Sky Objects You Can See With Your Naked Eye

In Bortle 1 skies, you don't need a telescope to see distant galaxies and nebulae:
Andromeda Galaxy (M31): Our nearest galactic neighbor, 2.5 million light-years away, visible as a faint oval smudge
Orion Nebula (M42): A stellar nursery where new stars are being born, appears as a fuzzy "star" in Orion's sword
Pleiades (Seven Sisters): Stunning star cluster easily visible to the naked eye
Double Cluster in Perseus: Two spectacular open star clusters side by side

The Zodiacal Light & Gegenschein (Rare Phenomena)

These subtle glows are only visible in the darkest skies on Earth:
Zodiacal Light: A faint, triangular glow visible along the ecliptic before dawn or after dusk, it's actually sunlight reflecting off cosmic dust in our solar system
Gegenschein: A faint oval glow directly opposite the sun in the night sky, even more subtle than zodiacal light If you see either of these during your stay, you're witnessing something most people will never see in their lifetime.

Our Dark Sky-Friendly Policies (And Why They Matter)

Preserving dark skies requires a community effort. These policies help protect the incredible night sky you came here to experience, and ensure future generations can experience it too. Here's what we ask of all our guests, and why each guideline matters.

Outdoor Lighting Guidelines

POLICY: All outdoor lights (except for safety lighting) should be turned off by 10:00 PM

Why this matters: Every unnecessary light creates sky glow that reduces the number of stars visible. Even small lights can ruin night vision for everyone within 100+ feet. By turning off decorative lights at 10 PM, we preserve the late-night stargazing hours when the sky is darkest.

POLICY: RV porch lights and awning lights should be motion-activated or turned off when not actively needed

Why this matters: Porch lights are often the brightest lights in the park. When left on all night, they create localized light pollution that affects not just your site but your neighbors' ability to see the stars. Motion-activation means you still have light when you need it, but darkness when you don't.

POLICY: Please close curtains/blinds after dark to minimize light escape from RV and cabin interiors

Why this matters: Light streaming through RV windows can be surprisingly bright in dark environments. A single uncovered window can illuminate a 50-foot radius. Closing curtains also helps you sleep better and makes the stars more visible from inside your RV!

POLICY: Use red flashlights or red-light mode on headlamps when moving around the park after dark

Why this matters: Red light preserves your night vision. Your eyes need 20-30 minutes to fully adapt to darkness to see faint stars and the Milky Way's details. One flash of white light resets that process. Red light allows you to see where you're walking without ruining your (or your neighbors') night vision. It's also less disruptive to wildlife.

POLICY: No high-intensity spotlights or floodlights permitted after 10:00 PM

Why this matters: Bright spotlights can temporarily blind people who've spent time adjusting to darkness and can affect the night vision of everyone in a large area. They're also startling to wildlife.

POLICY: Downward-facing lights only, lights that shine horizontally or straight up are not permitted

Why this matters: Upward-facing lights contribute directly to sky glow—the brightening of the night sky from artificial light. Every photon that goes up instead of down is wasted energy that makes stars harder to see. Downward-facing lights put light where it's needed (on the ground) instead of where it's not (in the sky).

POLICY: No cool/blue-white LED lights, warm-colored lights only

Why this matters: Blue-white light scatters more in the atmosphere than warm light, creating more sky glow. It's also more disruptive to human circadian rhythms and wildlife behavior. Warm amber lights (2700K or lower) minimize sky glow and are gentler on eyes adjusted to darkness.

POLICY: No landscape or decorative lighting after 10:00 PM

Why this matters: Decorative lighting is beautiful, but in dark sky areas, the natural night sky is the real decoration. After 10 PM, we ask guests to turn off decorative lights so everyone can enjoy the spectacular stars overhead.

Vehicle Headlight Policy

POLICY: Turn off vehicle headlights when parked; use parking lights only if needed

Why this matters: Headlights are incredibly bright and can temporarily blind people who've dark-adapted. When you arrive at your site, turn off your headlights immediately.

POLICY: No high beams/brights when driving around the campground after dark

Why this matters: High beams in a dark environment are blinding to other drivers, pedestrians, and anyone trying to stargaze. Low beams provide plenty of light on our roads while being respectful to others.

We practice what we preach. All park lighting at Old Faithful RV Park is:

✓ Fully shielded and downward-facing (zero upward light)
✓ Warm-colored (amber/yellow, not blue-white)
✓ Motion-activated where possible (lights only when needed)
✓ Minimal wattage (only as bright as needed for safety)