Where to go

Several places in rural Nevada provide good views of the state’s famed starry skies

Numerous places across rural Nevada offer vantage points from which to see the state’s famous starry skies at night.

Much of the best stargazing is done during the summer months, when the weather is warmer and several communities sponsor scheduled events to attract tourists.

Thankfully, the stars are out there all year long, and in the wintertime, you will be able to have these places to yourself.

Remember, Nevada is high-desert country, which means that it gets cold at night, often well below freezing. So be prepared to dress like you are going on a polar expedition — and that means a warm hat, gloves and several layers of clothes.

Here are several spots where you can enjoy Nevada’s night skies.

Desert Overlook Trail

This Southern Nevada spot near Mount Charleston offers star-finders a sweeping view of Southern Nevada’s Sheep Range Proposed Wilderness from a trail that winds through the Spring Mountains. The short, paved trail has a parking lot and is very accessible. For more information, visit gomtcharleston.com/desert-viewoverlook/.

Ely’s Great Basin Star Train

Ride a steam-powered locomotive in Ely that takes you into the starry hinterlands outside town, where guides show people of all ages how to use telescopes for the best views. The trains run during the spring and summer. For more information, visit the Nevada Northern Railway site at nnry.com.

Gerlach

This old former mining center an hour north of Reno features flat terrain and unobstructed views. Gerlach has been called “America’s darkest town,” and its proximity to the Black Rock Desert, site of the annual Burning Man festival, allows you to venture out onto the desert from town for one of the state’s flattest and most-expansive views of the heavens you’ll find.

Great Basin National Park

America’s least-visited national park has been designated a Dark Sky Park, and its Night Sky Program includes guided full-moon hikes, seasonal rangerled astronomy talks and telescope viewing at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center. The park also hosts an autumn astronomy festival in September. For more information visit nps.gov/grba/ planyourvisit/great-basin-night-sky. htm.

Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary

The sanctuary is about 230 miles north of Reno. For more information on the sanctuary, visit darksky.org or nevadawilderness.org/massacre_rim_ wsa_summary.

Red Rock Canyon

This spot is in Las Vegas’ backyard, with easy access. Though the lights of Las Vegas are near, stars are still visible in the northern and western skies. For more information visit redrockcanyonlv.org.

Rhyolite

Rhyolite is a mining ghost town at the northern end of the Amargosa Desert in Nye County. Remnants of old buildings have become popular backdrops for shooting photos of the night skies. It is located in the Bullfrog Hills, about 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, near the eastern edge of Death Valley.

Tonopah Star Trails and Star Park

Within a three-hour drive for Southern Nevadans, Tonopah has become a popular spot. Its Clair Blackburn Memorial Stargazing Park offers cement pads designed for telescopes. Visitors can download the Tonopah Star Trails map at tonopahnevada.com to learn about both paved and unpaid area roads for pristine nighttime views. During the summer months, the town sponsors after-hours guided Star Parties at the Stargazing Park once a month in June through September.