Kartchner Caverns State Park
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →Bisbee, Arizona Dark Sky Community
A historic mining town stacked into a steep canyon near the Mexican border, certified as an International Dark Sky Community in 2024.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Food & town
- Bisbee · about 1 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Community · 2024
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way overhead on a clear night, though glow from nearby towns washes out the sky near the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 4, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 6–11.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–11 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and a meteor shower peak (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2–8 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Mar 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 2–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| May 2–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–5 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–5 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 5 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 3 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 3 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Early Feb to late Oct. Out of season until early Feb. In season now, through late Oct.
Meteor showers ahead: Leonids on Nov 17–18 (half moon, sets around midnight), Geminids on Dec 13–14 (thin crescent, sets early), Ursids on Dec 22–23 (full moon, up all night), and Quadrantids on Jan 3–4 (thin crescent, rises late)Lyrids on Apr 22–23 (bright moon for most of the night)Eta Aquariids on May 5–6 (none · darkest skies)Southern Delta Aquariids on Jul 30–31 (thin crescent, rises late)Perseids on Aug 12–13 (bright moon for most of the night).
Email me before the next dark window at Bisbee, Arizona.
About one email a month, a few days before the moon goes dark: the dates here, the moonlight, and what's worth staying up for. Unsubscribe in one click.
We'll email you a link to confirm.
Almost there. Check your email for a link to confirm your address. Once you confirm, we'll email you the dates at Bisbee, Arizona a few days before each dark window, with the Dark Sky Trip Calendar.
That email address doesn't look complete. Check it and send it again.
We couldn't check that you're a person. Click into the form, wait until the check below the button shows success, then send it again.
Too many sign-ups from this connection just now. Please try again in an hour.
Something went wrong on our side and your address wasn't saved. Please try again later.
We use your email only for this, and never sell or share it. How we handle it.
What it's like
Bisbee is a historic mining town in Cochise County, about 5 miles north of the border with Mexico. It was laid out before cars, so its houses are stacked up the sides of a steep canyon and many are reached by stairways. Nearly 5,000 people live here now, and the town has turned from mining to visitors who come for its history and to learn how it protects its dark sky.
The dark here is recent work. When the mine closed in the mid-1970s, its industrial lighting went with it. A local group, Bisbee Dark Skies, formed in 2018 to take on city and residential lighting; the city passed a dark-sky lighting ordinance in 2022 and was certified as an International Dark Sky Community in 2024. It now has a five-year program to replace all of its publicly owned lights, and local advocates survey sky quality in each neighborhood every year.
Bisbee Dark Skies runs outreach through the year, including a monthly booth at the Bisbee Farmers Market. Some of the town's history is still in use: Warren Ball Park has hosted baseball since 1905, making it the oldest continuously used ballfield in the country, and Bisbee Dark Skies is working with the city on grant funding to bring its lights into line with the ordinance.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Bisbee, AZ is about 1 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Safeway and 1 more), 5 gas stations, and 16 places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: The Table (under 1 mi), Bisbee Coffee Company (under 1 mi), and Standard Waffle (under 1 mi).
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jun 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · darkness: Bortle 4, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Bisbee, Arizona
For a trip with more than one dark night: the closest within 150 miles, nearest first. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
Dark Sky Park Dark Sky Park Chiricahua National Monument
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Park Tumacácori National Historical Park
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Community Tubac, Arizona
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →