Bisbee, Arizona
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →Kartchner Caverns State Park, a Dark Sky Park
A living limestone cave in the Whetstone Mountain foothills of rural Cochise County, with Silver Tier skies overhead and star parties run with local astronomers.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Entry
- $10 per vehicle, $20 for 2 to 4
- Food & town
- Benson · about 9 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2017
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 6–12.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–12 | Thin crescent, sets early | 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 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | 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 Kartchner Caverns State Park.
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.
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What it's like
Kartchner Caverns is best known for what's underground: a living limestone cave, about 2.4 miles of known passages, still growing as it has for at least 50,000 years. The park sits in the foothills of the Whetstone Mountains in rural Cochise County, 9 miles south of Benson, and the sky above it is rated Silver Tier by DarkSky International.
Since 2010, volunteers from the Huachuca Astronomy Club have run night programs here, and the park now hosts several star parties a year. A star party here can run from afternoon solar viewing through a talk on protecting dark skies to night viewing through high-powered telescopes. Programs depend on the weather. Amateur astronomers from around the region also bring their own telescopes to use the dark.
To stay past the evening, book a campsite or one of the park's cabins; the park entrance fee is waived with a campsite reservation. The park worked with Cochise County and nearby Sierra Vista to strengthen their outdoor lighting codes, which helps protect its own sky. In summer, watch for the bats that fly the park's night skies, and check the park's Clear Sky Chart link before you go.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Benson, AZ is about 9 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Walmart Supercenter, Safeway), 10 gas stations, and 20+ places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Bat Cave Café (under 1 mi), KFC (about 9 mi), and Taco Bell (about 9 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) · entry fee from Arizona State Parks (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 4, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Kartchner Caverns State Park
For a trip with more than one dark night: the closest within 150 miles, nearest first. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
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