Stargazing at Cherry Springs: which area should you use?

Stargazing at Cherry Springs State Park in north-central Pennsylvania is easiest at the Night Sky Public Viewing Area for a few hours, no permit needed. Serious observers with equipment use the permit-only Overnight Astronomy Observation Field, where white light is prohibited. The park sits on top of a 2,300 ft mountain and is an International Dark Sky Park.

Why is Cherry Springs good for stargazing?

The surrounding state forest is little developed and nearby towns sit in valleys, which shields their light. The field has a 360° view, the location (41.65° N) gives a good view of the Milky Way’s core, and all park lighting is shielded with white light converted to red.

Which area should you use?

Area	For	Light rules
Night Sky Public Viewing Area	A few hours, casual	White allowed, red recommended
Rustic Campground	Casual overnight	No restrictions, red recommended
Overnight Astronomy Observation Field	Serious observers with gear	Red-filtered or shielded only; no white light

Rules for the astronomy field

• Register and pay at the contact station before setting up; display the permit on your dashboard. The 2025 price schedule lists $25 to $50 a night for residents and $25 to $75 for non-residents.
• Arrive in daylight to park on the field; after dusk, park in the adjacent lot and walk in.
• No pets, no campfires, no alcohol, no noisy generators. Leave by 3 pm on the day the permit ends.
• The field closes when full; there is no overflow area.

How to prepare for stargazing at Cherry Springs

The park’s etiquette sheet asks for red, dim, downward lights and red, dim screens, no flash, low beams when arriving and leaving, and headlights off once parked. Red cellophane is offered in the park. Bring layers for a mountain-top night. The stargazing trip checklist has the rest. I build Sky Map, so take the tip with that in mind: download it before you lose signal, because its core sky map works without internet, and check Tonight’s Sky Conditions (cloud cover, humidity, best time) the afternoon before. For a red screen use iPhone Color Filters (how).

Other US dark skies: Big Bend, Bryce Canyon. In Canada: Mont-Mégantic.

Sources: Pennsylvania DCNR Cherry Springs stargazing and stay pages (pa.gov), observation field rules and astronomy etiquette PDFs (elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov), Pennsylvania Bulletin 55 Pa.B. 1517, February 15, 2025, checked 2026-10-27.