Best Time To Visit Joshua Tree For Stargazing In 2022
Click here to read our updated guide for 2023.
Whenever we go to Joshua Tree National Park, we always try to time it so that we can catch the night sky at its best. There's something about gazing up at the stars while surrounded by the desert landscape that makes for a really magical experience.
While there are plenty of great places to stay to see the stars in and around Joshua Tree National Park, our personal favorite is the WKNDR Airbnb where you get a private view of Joshua Tree National Park’s designated dark sky and can stargaze from the comfort of one of our hammocks. The WKNDR Airbnb is also less than a mile from Sky’s The Limit Observatory.
No matter where you stay, here are the best times of year to stargaze at Joshua Tree National Park for 2022!
Best Time To See The Milky Way In Joshua Tree Is Spring and Summer
April - May: Best viewing between midnight and 5 am
June - July: This is the best time to view the milky way with the naked eye.
August - September: The milky way is vertical and out all night during these months.
Best Times To Stargaze At Joshua Tree National Park
A Note About Moons:
We’ve indicated all new moons below. This is the best time to view the night sky because the moonlight does not wash out the brightness of the stars. Full Moons are pretty spectacular in the desert even though the stars are more challenging to see, so we’ve listed those dates too.
January
January 2: New Moon
January 17: Full Moon
January 31: Black Full Moon aka Wolf Moon
February
February 16: Full Moon
March
March 2: New Moon
March 14: y-Normid Meteor Shower
March 18: Full Moon
March 31: Black Moon
April
April 16: Full Moon
April 22-23: Lyrid Meteor Shower
April 30: New Moon
May
May 6-7: Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
May 15-16: Total Lunar Eclipse
May 30: New Moon
June
June 14: Super Full Moon
June 24: Planets Align
June 28: Micro New Moon
July
July 13: Super Full Moon
July 28: New Moon
July 28-29: Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower
August
August 11: Full Moon
August 12-14: Perseid Meteor Shower
August 27: New Moon
September
September 10: Full Moon
September 23-24: Night Sky Festival at Sky’s The Limit Observatory
September 25: New Moon
October
October 9: Full Moon
October 25: New Moon
November
November 8: Total Lunar Eclipse
November 23: New Moon
December
December 7: Full Moon
December 8: Mars Opposition
December 13-14: Geminid Meteor Shower
December 23: Super New Moon
Sky’s The Limit Observatory Night Sky Festival
Tentative Date: September 23-24, 2022
This family-friendly festival offers a variety of fun activities for all. From astronomy lectures and solar telescope viewing to guided walks with docents and astronomy-themed activities for kids, there’s something for every star enthusiast! The event is held at Sky’s The Limit Observatory near the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park.
The WKNDR at Joshua Tree National Park is the closest Airbnb to the main event and shares the dark sky with Joshua Tree National Park.
Get Our Map Of The Best Places To Stay To See The Stars
The desert is a great place for stargazing, but viewing quality is affected in the higher populated areas. Get our map of the best areas for stargazing in the guide below.
Sources:
Moon Phases 2022 – Lunar Calendar for Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA, 8 Feb. 1970, https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/@5361305.
Ceja, Miranda. “CA 2022 Guide to Meteor Showers, Lunar Eclipses and Supermoons.” Across California, CA Patch, Patch, 30 Dec. 2021, https://patch.com/california/across-ca/ca-2022-guide-meteor-showers-lunar-eclipses-supermoons.
