Medicine Rocks State Park, a Dark Sky Sanctuary
- How dark?
- Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
- Entry
- $8 per vehicle (non-residents) · day use until 10 pm; camping
- Food & town
- Baker · about 25 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Sanctuary · 2020
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way stretch across the sky on a clear night, with only a faint glow from distant towns low on the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 3, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 5–12.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5–12 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | None · darkest skies | 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 1–8 | Thin crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 2–9 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 31–Apr 7 | Crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 30–May 7 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| May 30–Jun 6 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jun 30–Jul 9 | Mostly none · crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 5 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 4 | Crescent, sets early | A sky full of stars |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Mid Mar to early Sep. Out of season until mid Mar. In season now, through early Sep. Out of season until mid Mar.
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 (none · darkest skies)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 Medicine Rocks 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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Getting in after dark
Open year-round with day-use hours of 7 am to 10 pm; campsites are first come, first served.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Baker, MT is about 25 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Reynolds), 5 gas stations, and 3 places to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: a gas station, about 10 mi away in Ekalaka, MT. Nearest places to eat on the map: Wagon Wheel Cafe (about 10 mi, in Ekalaka, MT), Concessions (about 25 mi), and Buzz (about 25 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 and after-dark access from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 3, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Medicine Rocks State Park
No other dark sky place on this site is within 150 miles of Medicine Rocks State Park. The closest is Badlands National Park, about 201 mi southeast in South Dakota. Or browse every place by state.