Capitol Reef National Park
Exceptional darkness · Milky Way obvious
3 stays nearby →Torrey, Utah Dark Sky Community
Utah's first International Dark Sky Community, a small Wayne County town between Capitol Reef National Park and Boulder Mountain.
- How dark?
- Very dark · Milky Way across the sky on clear nights
- Food & town
- Loa · about 15 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Community · 2018
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 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | 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 1–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars |
| Mar 2–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 1–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| May 1–7 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–6 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 30–Aug 6 | Mostly none · 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: Mid Feb to mid Oct. Out of season until mid Feb. In season now, through mid 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 Torrey, Utah.
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
Torrey is a small town in rural Wayne County, settled in the 1880s near Sand Creek and best known today as the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. Its tree-lined main street is Utah Route 24. In 2018 it became Utah's first International Dark Sky Community, partly to protect the sky over the national park next door, since the town itself was the biggest outside source of artificial light over Capitol Reef.
Residents tightened the town's outdoor lighting ordinance, raised money to retrofit the town-owned streetlights, and worked with the park and a local nonprofit on outreach. Sitting between Capitol Reef and Boulder Mountain, the town has the Milky Way overhead on clear nights and meteor showers such as the Perseids and Geminids through the year.
The town points visitors to guided astronomy tours with local stargazing guides, programs on constellations and celestial events, and full moon hikes. Capitol Reef's Heritage StarFest, usually held in September, has brought events into town too, such as solar viewing at the farmers market in Torrey Town Park and an evening star party there with park staff and Torrey's dark sky partners.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Loa, UT is about 15 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Royals Market), 3 gas stations, and 1 place to eat on the map. The nearest gas is closer: Phillips 66, under 1 mi away. Nearest places to eat on the map: Wild Rabbit Cafe (under 1 mi, in Torrey, UT), Slacker's Burger Joint (under 1 mi, in Torrey, UT), and Randy's Deli (under 1 mi, in Torrey, UT).
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Night sky tours near Torrey, Utah
Stargazing and Milky Way Portrait in Capitol Reef National Park
Meridian · starts in Torrey, about 5 min · checked Sep 2026
These are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you book a tour through them.
✓ Certification verified Jun 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 Torrey, Utah
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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