Night-Sky Wonderlands

April 8, 2011
© Chris Ryan

Startrails at Mt. Lassen

Think back to summer camp and the first time you roamed the woods at night under a brilliant, star-strewn sky.  You’re older now, but if your last time sneaking around outside after dark was after sticking your bunkmate’s hand in a bowl of warm water, it’s time to break curfew again.  These five nighttime wonders are sure to reawaken your inner child.  (Bringing your own kids is optional.)

1.  Mt. Lassen, Shasta County

You can search for planets under some of the West’s clearest skies –  if you don’t mind sitting on top of an active volcano.  Eight thousand feet up the side of Mt. Lassen, you’ll feel like you’ve poked your head into outer space.  See the Milky Way spread above like a bright ribbon of phosphorescent mist, and spot more shooting stars than you would in a week of backyard all-nighters – all without pulling out a telescope.  (530) 595-4480; Lassen Volcanic National Park.

2.  Death Valley, Mojave Desert

Sometimes it is a good idea to down a big mug of hot cocoa before climbing into your sleeping bag.  Death Valley’s dry air, dark skies, and expansive views reveal a diamond-studded skyscape framed by the Mojave Desert.  When nature calls at 2 a.m., you’ll emerge from your tent under a shining ceiling not unlike the one pioneers saw on their epic westward treks.  (760) 786-3200; Death Valley National Park.

3.  Fremont Peak, San Juan Bautista

If you don’t know Janus from Jupiter, get the celestial skinny at the top of 3,000-foot Fremont Peak.  On select nights, observatory volunteers share their other-worldly wisdom in public presentations and uncap the 30-inch Newtonian telescope for gazing at colorful planets, pockmarked moons, and – maybe – alien-run observatories on other worlds.  Park is open year round:  831-623-4255; Fremont Peak State Park.  Public observatory programs resume April 2:  Fremont Peak Observatory Association; (831) 623-2465.

4.  John Muir Wilderness, Inyo National Forest

Peering at planets is best on moonless nights, but if a full, glowing ball of lunar cheese is rising in the east, it’s a great time to explore the surface of your home world.  And with wide open fields of exposed granite and few trees, the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada is the perfect stage.  Wandering the barren landscape on a clear, still night, awash in bright, pale beams from above, you may just feel like you’re like you’re walking on the moon itself.  (760) 873-2400; Inyo National Forest.

5.  Lost Coast, Mendocino County

With sand in your toes and the crashing of surf in your ears, you can get a lot closer to the stars than this — but then, you wouldn’t be at the beach.  The Lost Coast delivers on its mystery-novel imagery, spanning a remote stretch of northern California shoreline far from the orange glow of civilization.  Roll out your sleeping pad, uncork a Pinot Noir, and lie back with the deep, dark ocean at your feet and a sea of stars overhead.  Part of the Bureau of Land Management:  (707) 986-5400.