Dark sky camping: a beginner’s guide to sleeping under the stars
If you’d like to include some stargazing on your holiday, choosing an outdoor break is a very sensible choice: camping, motorhome and glamping breaks are all great ways to embrace the natural world at any time of day or night.
However, simply booking a camping holiday doesn’t guarantee you a great display of stars. If you want to boost your chances of seeing stars on your holiday, you’ll need to look for a dark sky campsite.
What is dark sky camping?
Dark sky camping means staying in a place well away from light pollution, where the resulting ‘dark skies’ allow the best view of the stars. These locations can be in a designated ‘dark sky’ area or simply somewhere well away from urban areas.
Why stay in a dark sky area?
Camping in a designated dark sky area is a good idea if you’re looking for places to stay while stargazing, an amazing location for night sky photography or somewhere to have a remote starlit evening with your partner. There’s no better way to keep an eye on the conditions than to stay right there in the outdoors and get out to look up into the sky when the time is right.
The benefits of staying at a dark sky campsite aren’t limited to night time, however: these remote locations also tend to be scenic areas for daytime hikes and other activities as well.
How do I find dark sky areas for stargazing?
You should be able to see the stars from most remote areas, but if you want to give yourself the best chance of seeing amazing night skies you’ll need to research specific dark sky areas.
Pick a dark sky park
Some areas of the world are so well known for their dark skies that they’ve been designated International Dark Sky Parks. Many of these parks have added benefits such as observatories, telescope hire and expert-led tours for those who would like to learn more about the stars.
Get to know your Bortle scale
You can also find out where a particular site sits on the Bortle scale. This nine-level scale assesses the brightness of the night sky in any location (class 1 being the darkest and 9 the brightest). Generally a Bortle class of 3 or lower is considered to be a dark sky area.
If you can’t find the exact class of your chosen location, use an online dark sky map to guide you.
Seven great places for dark sky camping in the UK and Ireland
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Exmoor National Park, Devon
Exmoor was chosen to become Europe’s first official dark sky reserve in 2011, and it’s a great place to try stargazing for the first time as much can be seen with the naked eye here. It’s also a good choice for family holidays because of its proximity to resorts like Minehead.
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Brecon Beacons National Park, South Wales
Take a trip to the Brecon Beacons and you can climb mountains or seek waterfalls by day before settling down to watch the stars in Wales’ first International Dark Sky Reserve.
Book campsites in the Brecon Beacons
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Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries & Galloway
At 78,000 hectares, the Galloway Forest Park is the biggest dark sky park in the UK. Handily, it’s also easily accessible from the main road and motorway network, making it a possibility for a weekend break. Book a trip to the nearby Scottish Dark Sky Observatory if you’d like to deepen your knowledge of what you’re seeing in the night sky.
Book Galloway Forest Park campsites
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Kielder Forest, Northumberland
The Northumberland and Kielder Water and Forest International Dark Sky Park is a gold-tier park and officially the darkest place in the UK, so it’s a great bet for some stunning stargazing. As a bonus, you may also catch glimpses of the Northern Lights here.
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South Downs National Park, South East England
For a stargazing break near London, try the South Downs National Park. Given the proximity of the capital and other urban areas it’s not quite as dark as some other areas of the UK, but this is still a bronze-tier park where you can see the Milky Way on a clear night. Time your trip for the annual two-week Dark Skies Festival for expert-led events.
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Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway
Europe’s first Dark Sky Town takes its status very seriously: Moffat’s council has even installed special street lighting to make sure that light pollution is kept to a minimum. A stay here is a good choice for those who’d like to do a little bit of stargazing but don’t want to be too far from shops and pubs.
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County Kerry, Republic of Ireland
The first place in Ireland to have its dark sky status recognised is the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve, in the southwest of the country. This area is also on the route of the Wild Atlantic Way, so the daytime views are spectacular too.
Book campsites in the Republic of Ireland
What’s the best time of year for dark sky camping?
Summer might seem the obvious time for the best chance of cloud-free skies, but in fact the short nights often don’t allow for truly dark skies. Spring or autumn are better choices for good conditions for stargazing breaks.
You can further improve your chances of a good display by checking the lunar phases: aim for the darker days around a new moon for star-spotting, or full moon nights for brighter lunar photography. This dark sky calendar is a great resource to find out when you might get the best views.
How to find a dark sky campsite
Most rural areas have a clear view of the night sky, so it’s a good idea to start by looking for somewhere well away from urban areas. Using Pitchup’s tick-box filters like ‘wild camping’ or ‘remote location’ should help to narrow down your choices.
If you’re not just a beginner at stargazing but also a novice at open-air stays, it’s worth doing a bit of preparation work before setting off. Our camping guide is full of handy tips to make your wilderness holiday go smoothly: this is where you can learn how to build a campfire and set up your tent even in bad weather.
Dark sky camping FAQs
What is dark sky camping?
Dark sky camping is an outdoor stay in an area of very low light pollution, such as a remote rural location or dark sky park, where you should have the best chance of finding good stargazing by night.
What time of year is best for dark sky camping?
Spring and autumn are better for stargazing than summer, because of the longer nights. Time your trip around the new moon for minimal lunar light interference.
Do I need to wild camp to find dark skies?
Wild camping is often a great way to find dark skies for stargazing, but log cabins and glamping sites in remote locations are also good options if you’d like a bit more comfort while viewing the night sky.
What’s the best place for dark sky camping?
For the very best chance of finding good stargazing during your camping break, look for locations within an International Dark Sky Park, which have particularly low levels of light pollution.