Cottonwood Canyon State Park
Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
3 stays nearby →Antelope, Oregon Dark Sky Community
A small former ranching town in north-central Oregon's upper Antelope Valley, certified as an International Dark Sky Community in 2024.
- How dark?
- Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
- Food & town
- Maupin · about 25 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Community · 2024
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 | Crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| May 31–Jun 6 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Jun 30–Jul 8 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 7 | Mostly none · crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Southern Delta Aquariids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 5 | Crescent, sets early | 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 mid Sep. Out of season until mid Mar. In season now, through mid 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 Antelope, Oregon.
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
Antelope is a small city in the upper Antelope Valley of north-central Oregon, on an old route between the John Day country and the Columbia River. The valley was home to the Klamath people long before settlers came. A gold strike at Canyon Creek in 1862 sent nearly 10,000 fortune seekers from The Dalles to the gold fields, on what became The Dalles to Canyon City Wagon Road, and Antelope took shape in the 1870s. For most of the 20th century it was a quiet ranching community of a few dozen residents.
Today the town is focused on preserving and sharing its dark night sky. To earn its International Dark Sky Community certification, Antelope passed a new outdoor lighting ordinance, took down streetlights that didn't comply, and worked with the local utility to replace the rest with DarkSky Approved fixtures. It also logged more than a year of sky quality measurements and gave residents free DarkSky Approved bulbs.
For visitors, the town has hosted star parties and outreach events, keeps a table of dark sky materials at the Community Center, and has three telescopes from the Rose City Astronomers to share with the community. The town hopes its work will encourage other small communities to protect their own night skies.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Maupin, OR is about 25 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Maupin Market), no gas station, and 1 place to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: a gas station, about 6 mi away in Shaniko, OR. Nearest places to eat on the map: Iron Kettle Dining Hall (about 15 mi), Village Snack Bar (about 25 mi), and The Riverside (about 25 mi).
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jul 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · darkness: Bortle 3, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near Antelope, Oregon
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 Prineville Reservoir State Park
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →Dark Sky Community Sisters, Oregon
Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →