Best Time To Stargaze In Moab: An Insiders Guide

If you’re planning a memorable stargazing experience at the best place, you might want to know the best time to stargaze in Moab. A few locations in the US are simply amazing for stargazing. Moab is just one of the top locations that may come to mind when thinking about it, particularly in the Southwestern United States.

Moab tourists frequently concentrate on the breathtaking surroundings and outdoor activities. Here’s what you need to know to get the most out of Moab’s great dark-sky locations, whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or a novice.

Moab’s Dark-Sky Locations

In designated dark-sky locations, there is no light pollution at all, resulting in an all-natural light show unlike anything you’ll see in a city and the opportunity to view the stars as our ancestors did before the development of modern society.

Here are the best stargazing locations in Moab:

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is one of the easiest spots to take in the night sky in complete darkness. Its main entrance is only a short distance from Moab’s downtown. Arches took precautions to become dark-sky friendly, installing shielded light fixtures that reduce glare and bulbs that restrict the quantity of blue light generated—a significant source of light pollution—before it was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in the summer of 2019. Everywhere in the park will provide excellent views of the stars on a clear night, but remember that the farther north (and away from town) you go, the darker the skies will be.

Arches is a great site to watch the night sky because of how far away it is from the artificial lighting of cities. Arches National Park preserves a plethora of resources. The following regions are top spots in Arches National Park for stargazing, according to the park’s website:

• Balanced Rock Picnic Area
• The Windows
• Garden of Eden Viewpoint
• Panorama Point

The park is beautiful at any time of the day. It has stunning red rock scenery and the greatest number of naturally occurring sandstone arches—over 2,000, to be exact.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park was designated a Gold-Tier Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association in 2015. It is a little bit farther from Moab town, which means that it is farther away from the ambient light that obstructs the night sky. People come from all over the world to this location because the nighttime views are so breathtaking, either to explore on their own or take part in stargazing activities offered by park rangers.

The park goes to great lengths to maintain its natural darkness and uses specialized “night-sky compatible” lighting systems and bulbs. Canyonlands are not as close to Moab as Arches, being 30 miles away, but this means there will be no traces of light pollution.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park is another International Dark Sky Park designated as such in 2016. It is one of the greatest locations in the state for stargazing and is about a 45-minute drive from downtown Moab. 

Its vantage point atop a high plateau offers excellent lines of sight and a virtually complete view of the celestial sphere. It is also sufficiently far from nearby development, which helps the place to remain very black at night. 

The park offers a variety of locations where you can enjoy the night sky on your own in addition to ranger-led nighttime programs, including full moon walks and telescope viewing sessions. Dead Horse Point State Park is a wonderful location to view the skies our ancestors wandered over and survived with, whether you wish to enjoy it alone or join a ranger.

Castle Valley

A tranquil haven, Castle Valley is located thirty minutes north of Moab. You’ll travel along the US 128 Scenic Byway, making for a fantastic journey. The Colorado River is followed by a route that offers stunning vistas of canyons and sandstone cliffs.

If you want to avoid the busy national parks, Castle Valley is a great alternative. There are just 319 people living in the unpopulated town of Castle Valley. Given the lack of urban development, the town only provides the bare minimum of amenities, yet there are countless places to observe the night sky.

Behind the Rocks Wilderness Area

One of the best places in Moab for quiet stargazing is Beyond the Rocks. 12,635 acres of Navajo Sandstone fins, domes, Slickrock benches, knobs, and canyons make up the WSA, located south of Moab.

Although the topography is similar to other Colorado Plateau land, moving around can be difficult. You can find good stargazing locations by exploring a variety of beautiful hiking and driving trails. Off-road driving’s Pritchett Canyon OHV Trail is among the most difficult and well-liked trails.

Grandstaff Canyon Wilderness Area

The Grandstaff Canyon Wilderness Area, northeast of Moab, is a favorite destination for thrill seekers and hikers. If you’re seeking to escape Arches National Park’s hordes of tourists, come to the area since it is a little further off the beaten path.

Despite the region’s less well-known status, the Morning Glory Natural Bridge and other breathtaking beauty can be found there. You can put up your telescope close to the parking lot (on Utah Scenic Byway 128) or take the Sand Flats Road, which leads to the higher part of the WSA, to find a more private and elevated stargazing location.

Onion Creek

Onion Creek is a worthwhile stop for stargazing in Moab. Located 45 minutes northeast of Moab, Onion Creek Road is your ticket to breathtaking beauty and starry nights. Even though it is difficult, the trail is manageable if your car has adequate clearance.

In Onion Creek, the views are unparalleled. You’ll see some of the most stunning red rock scenery while driving, and if you reach the top, you’ll have lovely views of Fisher Valley Ranch and the La Sal mountain range.

When is the Best Time to Stargaze in Moab

Most people overlook that the outdoor recreation areas in Moab, which are so amazing during the day, are frequently great for stargazing. It is definitely worth staying up late to see the expanse of stars overhead, especially after an action-packed day. 

Plan your visit to Moab with the new moon to maximize your time spent stargazing there. As the moon won’t overshadow them, the skies will be darker, and the stars will shine brighter.

Winter is often the greatest time of year to view the stars in Moab. Even though any time of year is ideal for stargazing in the desert, Moab has the clearest skies in the winter.

You can visit the numerous viewing places earlier than they can in the spring, summer, or fall because the sun sets in Moab between 5 PM and 6 PM during the winter. That can be useful if you’re with children and want to avoid driving after dark.

In Moab, you’ll typically see the Milky Way in the city’s many parks and open desert viewing locations. The Milky Way center can be seen above the horizon from April to October, making that a fantastic time to book a trip.

If possible, attempt to travel to Moab during one of the following three months: September, June, or January. Each month offers benefits and drawbacks.

• Moab’s January is known for its solitary atmosphere and beautiful skies. Due to January’s extreme weather, the region sees very few tourists. If you want to have all of Moab’s parks and skies to yourself, this is a fantastic time to travel there.
• Another excellent option is June when the weather is typically dry and clear. In contrast to January, June is the start of the busiest travel season. Thus, Moab gets many visitors. Remember that the presence of tourists may lead to increased local light pollution.

In Moab, September is the month with the clearest skies, but it also has the wettest days, with an estimated 5.1 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Moab Stargazing Tours

Seeing the night sky helps us gain perspective, is inspirational, and makes us think about our humanity and place in the cosmos. The natural night sky has contributed to human curiosity and scientific discovery throughout history. Every trip to Moab should include some time spent outside in the open air.

Moab RedRock Astronomy

• Address: 2476 Spanish Valley Dr, Moab, UT 84532-3427
• Website: moab-astronomy.com

Don’t miss your chance to see Moab and the surrounding area under the unique dark sky environment. Moab’s RedRock Astronomy loves to tell people about the amazing dark sky! 

Many people have never had the chance to see the Milky Way in its proper location, stretching across the night sky and sparkling in all of its beauty and majesty. RedRock Astronomy offers the only complete astronomy tour in Moab! 

They use a green laser pointer that helps point out the beautiful constellations, and the tour guide, Alex, uses his powerful telescopes and educational resources to show you planets, galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, and other spectacular celestial vistas. Young and elderly alike can participate in this exceptional and unforgettable astronomy experience in small groups of 2 to 40. 

Alex’s tools are the best! Celestron’s Professional Series tracking telescopes are the exact same ones that NASA selected for the International Space Station. The greatest eyepieces, made by Televue, are the secret to great viewing.

Moab Astronomy Tours

• Address: Moab, UT

Moab Astronomy Tours provides public and private group excursions, Full Moon hikes, and trips solely dedicated to seeing the Moon. 

Explore the cosmos with knowledgeable guides. Each tour experience includes a lesson on astronomy, a tour of a current constellation with historical, scientific, and cultural context, and the chance to view stars, galaxies, and nebulae via a telescope.

Ranger-Led Stargazing Programs

• Address: Moab, UT
• Website: nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/programs.htm

In order to educate tourists about the marvels of the night sky, Island in the Sky district rangers occasionally collaborate with rangers from Arches National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. The three parks will serve as different locations, and Great View Point is where Island in the Sky programs start. Usually, a ranger program is followed by a telescope and starlight viewing.

Meanwhile, The Needles neighborhood has sporadic stargazing events in the spring and fall. A night sky program is followed by a tour of the constellations or a telescope gazing. The Maze district periodically hosts stargazing programs in the spring and fall. Also, a few stargazing events are held by rangers at Hovenweep National Monument and the Natural Bridges National Monument. 

These ranger-led stargazing programs start at their respective visitor centers, depending on your location. Regardless of the weather, programs will still go on. Depending on when the sun sets, start timings will change.

What You Need to Bring

Once you’ve chosen a location, visit during a new moon because the sky will be much darker. If you cannot, seeing the moon before it crosses the horizon is still possible. 

Consider using smartphone apps to delve deeper than just gazing up at the sky. And if you’re really serious about this, you can research star charts that relate to particular times and places. 

Binoculars are a good alternative to a telescope since they are more portable, user-friendly, and less expensive. A red-light setting is preferable to maintain night vision, which can take up to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness, even though bringing a torch or flashlight is a smart idea to navigate the park securely.

Watch this educational and aesthetically pleasing video from Discover Moab on YouTube to give you a perspective of Moab’s night sky.

Looking up to see the night sky in all its galactic splendor is a genuinely awe-inspiring experience for people who have spent most of their life living in or close to a city. But fewer than one in ten Americans reside in an area where they can see the 2,500 stars that should be visible in a typical sky. 

The brightness of urban development entirely blocks out the night sky in many places. You might be surprised that some of the darkest sky left in the contiguous 48 states can be found on the public lands that surround Moab.

Best Time to Stargaze in Moab FAQs