Star Parties

Public Star Parties

The Bryce Canyon National Park will host public star parties as part of the Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival (which is not part of AstroCon 2025). Each evening from Wednesday, June 25th through Saturday, June 28th, the star parties will be held at the Visitor's Center from 10pm until midnight.

If you are not bringing equipment and want to attend one or more public star parties, please park in the Visitor’s Center parking lot or, better yet, take a shuttle bus from Ruby’s Inn to the Visitor’s Center. At 10:00 p.m., the park service rangers will allow the public onto the telescope field. Please watch carefully where the park rangers will guide the public with special lighting.

The National Park Service requires that those who participate in a public star party with their telescopes plan to attend an orientation meeting at the Visitor’s Center before the evening stargazing. The orientation meeting will give instructions about when you can set up at the telescope field.

If you want to volunteer with your telescope at the public star party, please contact BJ Cluff at bj_cluff@nps.gov. Planning for the Astronomy Festival will begin in January 2025.

In previous years, the Visitor's Center has often offered daytime solar viewing. When the Astronomy Festival has more information, we will post it here.

We are also working to have a solar area near Ruby's Inn for AstroCon attendees. More information will be added later.

Private Star Parties

Private viewing will be available at Rainbow Point at the southern end of Bryce Canyon National Park for those participating in the AstroCon Astrophotography Contest, the AstroCon Observing Award, or those who want a quiet place for personal viewing. There will also be an area at the Ruby's Inn Lookout for those participating in the Astrophotography Contest.

There will be limited parking for private viewing at Rainbow Point. If you want to reserve a spot for your vehicle and equipment at Rainbow Point, contact Walter Williams at starparties@astrocon2025.org.