Best Time To Visit Joshua Tree For Stargazing in 2023

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 x Starside 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 less than a mile from Sky’s The Limit Observatory and there’s a telescope stashed at the house in case you don’t want to leave (we wouldn’t blame you!)

No matter where you stay, here are the best times of year to stargaze at Joshua Tree National Park for 2023.

The Best Time To See The Milkyway Is Spring & 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 3-4: Quadrantids Meteor Shower

January 6: Micro Full Moon

January 21: Super New Moon

February

February 5: Micro Full Moon

February 19: Super New Moon

March

March 7: Full Moon

March 14: y-Normid Meteor Shower

March 21: New Moon

April

April 5: Full Moon

April 21-22: Lyrid Meteor Shower

April 19: New Moon

May

May 5: Full Moon

May 4-5: Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

May 19: Black New Moon

June

June 3: Full Moon

June 24: Planets Align

June 17: New Moon

July

July 3: Full Moon

July 17: New Moon

July 29-30: Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

August

August 1: Super Full Moon

August 11-13: Perseid Meteor Shower

August 16: Micro New Moon

August 30: Blue Moon

September

September 14: New Moon

September 23-24: Night Sky Festival at Sky’s The Limit Observatory

September 29: Full Moon

October

October 8-10: Draconids Meteor Shower

October 14: New Moon + Solar Eclipse 8:08 AM

October 28: Full Moon

November

November 13: New Moon

November 17-18: Leonids

November 27: Full Moon

December

December 12: New Moon

December 13-14: Geminid Meteor Shower

December 26: Full Moon

Sky’s The Limit Observatory Night Sky Festival

Oct. 13-14, 2023

This family-friendly festival offers a variety of fun activities for all and sells out yearly. 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 x Starside is the closest Airbnb to the main event and shares the dark sky with Joshua Tree National Park.

Tell us in the comments what else you would add to this list.


Get Our Map Of Where 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, https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/usa/joshua-tree?year=2023.

Hilary Victoria

Hilary is co-founder of WKNDR. She’s hiked every official (and many unofficial) trails in Joshua Tree National Park, including the entire California Riding and Hiking Trail. She’s our resident expert on all things outdoors, things to do, and places to see in the high desert.

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