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.