See the Stars from the Most Magnificent Views
Yosemite is the perfect backdrop for stargazing, and it offers a number of opportunities for the pastime. Year round visitors to the park can look up at the night sky over Yosemite and see billions of stars. The best places for stargazing are areas with unobstructed views of the sky, such as Glacier Point, the Badger Pass ski area, or open areas of Yosemite Valley.
A number of stargazing tours are also available in Yosemite National Park. By participating in one of these tours, you’ll find the best places in Yosemite to see the stars, you’ll have the opportunity to use telescopes of your own or telescopes in the park to gaze at the heavens, and you’ll have a knowledgeable tour guide to help you find things like meteor showers, constellations, comets, and planets.
One such Yosemite star tour is the Starry Skies Over Yosemite/Wawona Tour. This tour runs through the summer and fall and is capped at seventy participants per tour group. It costs five dollars per person and lasts for an hour and a half. On this Yosemite stargazing tour, you’ll explore the skies while learning about some of the folklore surrounding what you see. This tour is offered at the Wawona Hotel once a week and multiple times per week in Yosemite Valley.
Another popular Yosemite star tour is the Glacier Point Stargazing Tour. This bus tour runs throughout the summer and lasts four hours. It begins with a guided tour from Yosemite Valley up to Glacier Point that explores Yosemite’s cultural and natural history. Once at Glacier Point, your Yosemite stargazing experience begins. The views of Yosemite Valley are unparalleled from Glacier Point, and the clear view offered of the sky is equally breathtaking. Many people bring their own handheld telescopes on this tour to get a better look at the astrological sights that the tour guide points out.
A few stargazing tips: Remember to visit the park in the summer for the best Yosemite stargazing. Dress warmly when you go – even in the summer, the nights can get quite chilly. Try to avoid planning a stargazing outing on a night when the moon is full or nearly full – its bright light will decrease visibility. And lastly, remember to book your accommodations for your Yosemite stargazing trip as early as possible.
Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders has a number of houses, condominiums, and cabins for rent, but our rentals book quickly in the summer. If you are ready to reserve Yosemite lodging, call Scenic Wonders at 1-888-YOSEMITE (1-888-967-3648) or make your reservation online today!
