Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks guide · 1 min read
The Dark Sky Festival and Northward Stargazing
The Dark Sky Festival is now in its twelfth year. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks put it on together with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.
The festival celebrates the night sky and raises awareness about keeping the natural darkness these parks still have. It is a good way to think about the universe overhead while learning why that darkness is worth protecting.
Light pollution from Visalia and Fresno still reaches the view of the stars, even though both cities sit nearly 50 miles southwest of the parks. On some nights, depending on the phase of the moon, stars and the Milky Way remain visible above those cities. For a clearer view, turn to face north or northeast, where the sky is darker.
Several national parks still have starlit skies that are almost free of artificial light. More than 40 parks in the National Park System hold International Dark Sky Place status. Visitors at those places can look up at the stars in natural darkness.
Ranger programs make the evenings here even fuller. Visitors can join a moonlight walk, and those staying at a campground can attend an evening program at the campground amphitheater. Ranger-led walks also explore the giant sequoia groves, where some of the largest trees in the world grow.
