Why the sky is so dark here
Joshua Tree was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2017. The park never closes, so you can watch the sky from dusk to dawn. What light there is comes mostly from the glow of Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Coachella Valley, which is why the park's remote eastern side is far darker than spots in the west like Keys View.
Where to stargaze
The park names four places for stargazing: the parking lots at Quail Springs, Hidden Valley, Cap Rock and Ryan Mountain, all along Park Boulevard. You can also use any pullout on Pinto Basin Road, and the stretch between the Cholla Cactus Garden and Cottonwood has the least traffic and the darkest sky. The park says Cottonwood Campground has the darkest skies of all.
- Keep within 20 feet of your car at the pullouts and parking lots
- Camping along roadsides and in parking lots is not allowed, and day use areas close from dusk to dawn
- Use a red light, not a white flashlight or a phone screen, and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust
When to go: the moon matters most
The moon decides the night. Around the new moon the sky is at its darkest, and a full moon lights the landscape but washes out most of the stars. The week either side of the new moon is the time to plan for.
Coming new moons, in Pacific time: December 8, 2026, January 7, February 6, March 8 and April 6, 2027. Full moons: November 24 and December 23, 2026, January 22, February 20, March 22 and April 20, 2027. For later dates, check a moon calendar.
The Milky Way is at its best on moonless summer nights, the park says, with May and June the peak months. Real darkness comes 30 to 45 minutes after sunset.
Meteor showers
- The Geminids peak around December 13 and 14, 2026, with little moonlight in the way
- The Quadrantids peak around January 3 and 4, 2027, also with little moon
- The Lyrids peak around April 21 and 22, 2027, near the full moon, so fewer will be visible
- The Eta Aquariids peak around May 5 and 6, 2027, with almost no moon
- The Perseids peak around August 12 and 13, 2027, with a bright moon
Where to watch the sunset
Keys View is the classic. It is a 20 minute drive off Park Boulevard to the crest of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, where the ridge drops nearly a mile to the Coachella Valley, the San Andreas Fault runs below, and on a very clear day you can see Signal Mountain in Mexico, 90 miles south. Get there early and bring a layer, because temperatures drop quickly once the sun goes.
The Cholla Cactus Garden, on Pinto Basin Road, is the park's other pick for sunset, and the pullouts on the road beyond it are the darkest in the park once the stars come out.
Roughly when the sun goes down: before 6 PM from November to February, and before 5 PM in early December. In March it moves from about 6 to after 7 PM as the clocks change. From April to August it sets between about 7 and 8 PM, closest to 8 in June and July. In September it sets between half past 6 and a little after 7, and in October between 6 and half past.
Where to watch the sunrise
The park names the Cholla Cactus Garden as a good place for sunrise as well as sunset. Its quarter mile loop runs through a dense stand of cholla, whose segments break off and attach to anyone who brushes them, so wear closed shoes and keep to the trail. Check the sunrise time for your date and plan to be there a little before it.
What is open in the evening
The park itself never closes, but nothing inside it is staffed at night and there is no food, gas or drinking water. The visitor centers close in the late afternoon. Outside the park, the towns along Highway 62 have places to eat, and Pioneertown has Pappy and Harriet's for dinner.
Sky's the Limit, a volunteer run observatory and nature center just outside the North Entrance in Twentynine Palms, is open to the public.
Kaleidoscope Desert at the end of the day
Our sanctuary is in Morongo Valley, 15 minutes from the town of Joshua Tree. More than 100 rescued animals roam free among the art, Rubs the zebra, mini horses, mini cows, goats, pigs and giant tortoises among them, and they come over to meet you.
The Gamelatron runs later than anything else we do: one full hour of fifteen bronze gongs played by robotic mallets, in the Center, a glass-walled room, with sessions on the hour until 7 PM. Depending on the season, the last sessions run through sunset or after dark, and then it is a short drive back up to the park for the stars.
The Sanctuary Tour is a guided walk of about 90 minutes and runs daily, and the Day Pass is the whole afternoon, 12 to 6 PM, with the tour, a Gamelatron session, the pool and the hot tub. Every visit is for adults, 18 and over.
100% of proceeds go to the animals: their rescue, their care, and the sanctuary they live in. Kaleidoscope Desert Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
What to bring at night
- Warm layers, a hat and gloves for most of the year. The park warns that temperatures drop quickly in the evening
- A red light, a blanket or chairs, and water
- Offline maps, since cell service in the park is very limited
- A full tank, because there is no gas in the park