Joshua Tree Stargazing Tours?
Nov 12, 2014, 3:25 am
#1
Original Poster
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Location: Wimbledon, UK
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Joshua Tree Stargazing Tours?
I'm looking to visit Joshua Tree Park next year as I travel down from Seattle to LA. Would be 6 months in to a round the world trip so won't have a tent/RV to be able to camp in the park and see the stars.
Does anyone know if any night tours are offered that drive you into the park so you can do a bit of stargazing for an hour?
Had a good search online but can only find day tours. We'll probably have to stay in a nearby motel outside the park so I'm guessing not many stars will be visible there
Thanks.
Does anyone know if any night tours are offered that drive you into the park so you can do a bit of stargazing for an hour?
Had a good search online but can only find day tours. We'll probably have to stay in a nearby motel outside the park so I'm guessing not many stars will be visible there
Thanks.
Nov 12, 2014, 12:09 pm
#2
Moderator: Luxury Hotels and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Palo Alto, California,USA
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I don't know of any, but why would you go to Joshua Tree instead of Death Valley? The view from Zabriskie point on a moonless night is amazing -- you don't need a tour, it's just a few miles from Furnace Creek.
And during the day, there's a lot more to visit in Death Valley than Joshua Tree.
And during the day, there's a lot more to visit in Death Valley than Joshua Tree.
Nov 12, 2014, 10:19 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2007
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I'm not familiar with any guided stargazing tours at Joshua Tree. However, the park is open 24 hours a day. If you have your own car you can enter at any time to see the stars for yourself. And you should actually get a reasonable view of the night sky from a motel outside the park. The nearby towns are small and produce little light pollution.
Nov 13, 2014, 5:53 am
#5
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Great thank you.
It's good to know there are a few options. Reading online it all pointed to camping in Joshua Tree but FT'ers always know best
We won't be able to drive whilst there unfortunately so will be relying on buses/taxi where available.
It's good to know there are a few options. Reading online it all pointed to camping in Joshua Tree but FT'ers always know best
We won't be able to drive whilst there unfortunately so will be relying on buses/taxi where available.
Nov 13, 2014, 7:39 am
#7
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Nov 13, 2014, 11:46 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2007
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You're going to find parts of this trip very difficult without renting a car. Public transit will work okay between major cities, e.g., Seattle-Portland and San Francisco-Los Angeles. There are also transit options for certain major recreational areas, such as buses from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park. For less-visited and sparsely populated areas such as Joshua Tree the only reasonable way to visit is in a private vehicle. I recommend you rent a car in Los Angeles for a few days to make your side trip out to Joshua Tree. Or do a one way rental from SF to LA to support multiple side trips.
Jul 19, 2017, 10:12 am
#9
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Here, there … you know how it goes.
Posts: 1,518
I know this is an old friend, but we're headed out to JT this weekend with our telescope - new moon! - and stumbled on to this Star Gazing Tour:
http://www.coyotetelescope.com/
We've booked the private star tour for one night, and fingers crossed, will have some fantastic sighting.
http://www.coyotetelescope.com/
We've booked the private star tour for one night, and fingers crossed, will have some fantastic sighting.