A sky-events viewing guide built for people who want curated, vetted spots — not just a map pin. Every location is researched with real access notes, crowd context, and honest caveats.
Data accuracy
Our database is continuously maintained. Venue access, dark-sky designations, Bortle ratings, and event details can change — always verify current conditions before visiting or making travel plans.
Bortle n/a · International Dark Sky Community (DarkSky International)
🌠 Perseids 2026 — a rare moonless peak. The shower peaks overnight Aug 12 into pre-dawn Aug 13 on a new moon, so the sky stays fully dark all night — the best Perseid conditions in years. Best rates are 2–5 AM local; just look up (meteors appear all over the sky). Before you go: Town streets and most red-rock viewpoints are publicly accessible after dark; there is no city curfew on stargazing. From these skies, expect a strong showing under clear, dark conditions — not the '100 per hour' quoted elsewhere. Full Perseids 2026 guide →
🌠 Geminids 2026 — the year's strongest shower, on a dark-sky night. Peaking overnight Dec 13 into the morning of Dec 14, on a thin waxing crescent moon that sets early evening, so the sky stays dark for the whole night. Good activity starts as early as 9–10 PM local — earlier than most showers — and climbs to a peak around 1–2 AM. Unlike almost every other shower, the Geminids come from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon, not a comet), producing slower, more colorful, easier-to-track streaks. Before you go: Town streets and most red-rock viewpoints are publicly accessible after dark; there is no city curfew on stargazing. From these skies, expect a strong showing under clear, dark conditions, outpacing even the Perseids. Dress for winter — it's a cold-weather shower. Full Geminids 2026 guide →
Sky Report: Sedona
Sky darkness: Bortle n/a
Designation: International Dark Sky Community — DarkSky International (Certified)
High-desert town at ~4,350 ft with low humidity; a strict lighting ordinance keeps in-town skies dark, though the Phoenix glow is visible low to the south. No published measured SQM/Bortle exists because Community designation is ordinance/education-based rather than tied to a sky-brightness threshold.
Can you actually stargaze here? Access depends which area you use — read this first
Town streets and most red-rock viewpoints are publicly accessible after dark; there is no city curfew on stargazing. Many Forest Service trailheads require a Red Rock Pass for parking. Red Rock State Park (a separate unit) closes at night and is not a night-viewing option.
From Phoenix ~2h via I-17 to SR-179 (Red Rock Scenic Byway); from Flagstaff ~45 min via SR-89A through Oak Creek Canyon. Fuel widely available in town. Sedona Airport (SDX) is private/charter only.
Nearest major airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) · ~120 min drive
Gateway towns: Sedona, AZ · Village of Oak Creek, AZ
Bortle n/a · Park Viewpoint · Open horizon: W · Best for: Milky Way
📍 34.8525, -111.7906
ParkingRestrooms
Elevated mesa 5 min from uptown with a 360° red-rock horizon; popular for sunset then stargazing. Paid parking lot.
⚠️ Small lot fills at sunset; some town glow to the east. Red Rock Pass / paid parking applies.
Two Trees Observation Area ? Unverified
Bortle n/a · Roadside Pullout · Open horizon: W · Best for: Milky Way, Deep Sky
📍 34.8640, -111.8400
ParkingNo Artificial Lighting
Open field on the West Sedona plateau used as the regular meeting spot for local astronomy clubs (Astronomers of Verde Valley / Sirius Lookers). Free — just pull in and let your eyes adjust.
⚠️ Coordinates approximate; unlit dirt field with uneven ground in the dark.