If you enjoy spending a peaceful night outdoors just looking at the sky, you will love the stargazing offered at a nearby state park.
Cherry Springs State Park is a unique weekend destination. Aside from being a normal state park, it has some of the darkest nights you’ll ever see in your life.
“It’s a very remote area and there are large open areas that give you a very big horizon so you get a good view of the night sky,” says Chip Harrison, Cherry Springs State Park supervisor. “If you are lucky enough to come during a time where the sky is under absolute ideal conditions, you may be able to see a faint shadow of the Milky Way.”
The state park has programs throughout the summer and also in September and October for anyone interested in stargazing.
“The programs we have usually run on the weekends,” says Harrison. “We’re now coming up on the first weekend meteor showers so we have specific events for anyone who wants to see those as well.”
This 82-acre park is about a two hour drive north of State College and according to Harrison, people will travel from different states just to enjoy the night show.
“It amazing, people will drive six to eight hours to get here to look at the night skies,” says Harrison. “We also have had people come from other countries and it’s great to see people coming from different places to enjoy the sky.”
If you do decide to check out the park for stargazing, make sure to wear comfortable clothes that will keep you warm. The temperatures can drop to 30 degrees in the evening.
Harrison also recommends you get there when there’s daylight so you can get familiarized with the land and know where the facilities are located.
“We do require pre registrations because the night shows are that popular,” says Harrison. “People can pre-register on the events calendar on the park’s website.”
Besides the stargazing, the park offers a walking trail where visitors are welcomed to hike and enjoy nature and see some of the wildlife that lives in the park.
“The park is truly an international destination and it’s something that you really don’t find in many places,” says Harrison. “People that come here for the night sky love what they see and it’s a really fun time.”
