Stargazing Near Phoenix: Dark Sky Sites Worth the Drive

Phoenix generates enough light pollution to wash out all but the brightest stars from within the city limits. The alternatives within reasonable reach are exceptionally good. Arizona has more certified International Dark Sky Parks than any other state, and several are within range of Phoenix. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, north of Payson on Highway 87, sits in ponderosa pine at 4,500 feet elevation. The drive takes ninety minutes. The campground removes you from the Phoenix light dome enough to restore the Milky Way on moonless nights. Wickenburg, sixty miles northwest, is dark enough for reasonable deep-sky viewing with basic equipment. The open desert in every direction means no obstructions. Amateur astronomers from Phoenix regularly make the drive for club observing sessions. For the committed: Kitt Peak National Observatory about an hour southwest of Tucson runs public evening programs combining access to professional-grade telescopes with serious darkness. Best equipment: a red-light headlamp and a reclining camp chair.