• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
Thursday, June 30, 2022
The Millennial Source
TMS
Home Lifestyle

The best places to stargaze in Southern California

byPhoebe Woofterand Edited byChristine Dulion
June 1, 2021
in Lifestyle
silhouette of spruce trees under starry night

Photo by Sindre Strøm on Pexels.com

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin

The best places to stargaze in Southern California beat out the competition due to the region’s vast desert expanses and clear night sky. Once you escape the hovering smog of urban areas like Los Angeles and San Diego, the stars splash across the SoCal night sky in vivid clusters. Stargazing in the desert surpasses most other locations due to its isolation and warm weather. You can find the perfect spots to observe these celestial specks in deserted towns, vacation areas and remote campsites. 

The stars and the moon take over for city lights in the desert. Instead of glaring lights, a bright glow envelopes the chaparral. Bring a picnic blanket and some snacks, a guide book and a flashlight – or pack for a night of camping. Dress for a cold night. Even though the sun provides plenty of daytime heat, the desert can drop to frigid temperatures once the sun goes down. Feeling like a fun photo shoot? Live out your Phoebe Bridgers dreams in her signature skeleton costume while you play “Punisher” in the background. 

Borrego Springs

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by P. Puig (@ppuig_2021)

California’s largest state park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, is accessed through Borrego Springs, which happens to be one of the few stargazing sites in the Low Desert. They have lighting regulations in place to ensure the nighttime atmosphere is undisturbed. Unlike many other California cities, the minimal light pollution allows a beautiful view of the stars. Hungry? Looking for a place to stay for the night that isn’t a tent? Restaurants and lodging are available nearby. If you prefer to camp out, you can pitch a tent at the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, which hosts a vast amount of campgrounds with amenities like showers and restrooms. 

Salton Sea

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Salton Sea, California (@thesaltonsea)

Concrete pads for scopes mounted on tripods scatter the shoreline for more avid stargazers. It’s a good distance away from other cities, so the sky remains relatively unpolluted by urban light. If you need more than the stars to visit this – quite frankly – barren wasteland, check out the multitude of activities like art exhibits, a banana museum and a beach made of fish remains. Though camping is available between October and May at the Salton Sea State Recreation Area, you don’t have to set up camp to check out the starry sky. 

Joshua Tree National Park

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joshua Tree National Park (@joshuatreenps)

Just two hours away from downtown Los Angeles, Joshua Tree crosses most people’s minds when they think of stargazing in Southern California. Around half of the National Park is located in the Low Desert, and it’s the best half for stargazing. You can easily spot constellations and even a shooting star or two. Stake out a nice campsite at the Cottonwood Campground, but make sure to get there early as the sites are claimed on a first-come-first-served basis. Though most prefer Cottonwood, you can find eight other locations to pitch a tent. 

Midland Ghost Town

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sammy Ramone (@sammyramonemusic)

Live out your Wild West stargazing dream in Midland Ghost Town, an abandoned town in the desert. Only foundations and desert shrubs remain. Even the railroad has been torn from the town. Once a thriving town of commerce, Midland shut down in the 60s shortly after the nearby mine closed. The Colorado River Astronomy Club meets here for the dark skies. The only sign of city light comes from Blythe, only a 22-mile drive. Midland also has concrete and asphalt pads for scopes, along with ample campsites for you to sleep under the stars or in a tent, free of charge. Be sure to bring anything you might need, given that the nearest town is Blythe.  

Kelso Dunes

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aaron Rashid | SoCal (@aaron.captures)

 Ever heard of the Mojave National Preserve? Any outdoorsy Californian has. It’s a popular spot for photographers. The Kelso Dunes are formed from sand blown in from the Mojave River’s basin. Visitors named them “singing dunes” for the sound the sand makes when your footfalls on the crest cause little avalanches, which in turn make echoing sounds. Unfortunately, the wind may damage your expensive stargazing gear, so bring along some cheap binoculars for panoramic night sky views. If the blowing sand daunts you, stay by the road. The dunes block out light from nearby cities, like Las Vegas, the den of neon lights. You’ll find campsites near the road to set up your night of finding constellations. You can reach this area of the Mojave from downtown Los Angeles in a couple hundred miles. 

Julian

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wolfgang Dietrich (@wolfvond360)

Just outside of San Diego sits the town of Julian, best known for its delicious apples and apple-related desserts. It also happens to be one of the premier locations to see the Milky Way in California. Book an hourlong sky tour on the rooftop of Julian’s Observer’s Inn, a quaint bed-and-breakfast catering to novice and advanced astronomers. They provide top-notch telescopes to view star clusters and nebulae. Oh, and did we mention that the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) awarded Julian a spot in the International Dark Sky Community, one of 30 such designations and only the second in California?

Have a tip or story? Get in touch with our reporters at [email protected]

Like TMS? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter

Related

Tags: CaliforniaLifestyletravel
ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

Red Hare Analytics

Red Hare Analytics CEO Anson Kwok says it’s time to prepare to enter the NFT market

June 26, 2022
Blue Lotus Gallery

How Hong Kong’s Blue Lotus Gallery is exploring the city’s cultural identity

June 25, 2022
Kayla Wong

Entrepreneur, activist and creator Kayla Wong on the LGBTQ+ scene in Hong Kong

June 18, 2022

Everything you need to know about kakeibo, a Japanese method of saving money

June 17, 2022

Just say “no” to shark fin soup, says Hong Kong Shark Foundation

June 12, 2022

How Hong Kong’s archiREEF is restoring our ocean’s coral reefs with technology

June 11, 2022

7 of the best investment apps in Hong Kong

May 29, 2022

Cheers to Breer – the social enterprise inspiring us to upcycle our food scraps

May 28, 2022

Get to know visual podcast channel Fav: On Air

May 26, 2022

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TMS NEWSLETTER

By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy

The Millennial Source Ltd. 2021

No Result
View All Result
  • Your daily briefing
  • About us
  • Explore
    • Startups
    • Climate change
    • Tech giants
    • Crypto
    • The future of work
    • Banking giants
    • Economy
  • Lifestyle
  • Human stories
  • TMS archives
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy & Terms

2022 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

string(24) "jsonld single post debug"
The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.