Chiricahua National Monument
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
3 stays nearby →Cosmic Campground, a Dark Sky Sanctuary
A small primitive campground in New Mexico's Gila National Forest, the first Dark Sky Sanctuary in North America, with a full circle of open sky and no sizable light within 40 miles.
- How dark?
- Exceptional darkness · Milky Way obvious
- Entry
- Temporarily closed
- Food & town
- Morenci · about 40 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Sanctuary · 2016
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough that the Milky Way is obvious the moment you look up, with no town glow worth mentioning on any horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 1–2, 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 | Thin crescent, sets early | 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 | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 2–8 | Thin crescent, sets early | 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 4 | Crescent, sets early | 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 Cosmic Campground.
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
Check before you drive out. In September 2026 the Forest Service announced a temporary closure of Cosmic Campground while shade structures were built for its campsites. Look for current closures on the Gila National Forest alerts page, or call the Glenwood Ranger District at (575) 539-2481.
The site itself is small, about 3.5 acres of open ground in western New Mexico, with the Gila Wilderness on one side and the Blue Range Primitive Area on the other. Look for it 8 miles north of Alma off US 180, between mileposts 37 and 38; past the cattle guard at the turnoff, it's about 1.3 more miles. The view is the reason to come. The sky is open in every direction, and no significant artificial light sits closer than 40 miles, across the Arizona line.
The campground is primitive and free, with no pass needed. Sites are first come, first served, and there are picnic tables, a vault toilet, an information kiosk, and four concrete telescope pads. Stays are limited to 14 days.
The rules are about protecting everyone's night vision. Don't park or build fires on the telescope pads, cover your flashlight with a red filter, arrive before dark so your headlights don't sweep the field, and run no generators between 10 pm and 6 am. The Forest Service calls late May through late October the best stretch for the Milky Way.
Getting in after dark
Cosmic Campground is closed while campsite shade structures are built and installed (alert from September 22, 2026, no end date).
Food, fuel, and supplies
Morenci, AZ is about 40 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Bashas'), no gas station, and 5 places to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: Alma Store, about 7 mi away in Alma, NM. Nearest places to eat on the map: Purple Onion (about 9 mi, in Mogollon, NM), Ella's Cafe (about 20 mi, in Reserve, NM), and Foxfire at Alpine (about 30 mi, in Alpine, AZ). There is no drinking water and very little shade, so bring all the water you will need for your stay.
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) · after-dark access from USDA Forest Service (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 1–2, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Cosmic Campground
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 El Morro National Monument
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Park Petrified Forest National Park
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
2 stays nearby →Dark Sky Park Oracle State Park
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →