Official home of the Lincoln County Authority of Tourism (LCAT)
Official home of the Lincoln County Authority of Tourism (LCAT)
Amazing Astrotourism is closer than you think . . . in Lincoln County Nevada!
Whether you have never seen the night sky in its entire splendor, or the Milky Way, or the constellations, or experienced the total peace and quiet where only stars brighten the night . . . this adventure just got easier to find.
Lincoln County may seem a bit off-the-beaten path, however, our wide open spaces aren’t just good for daytime adventures like off-roading, hiking, biking, exploring… our night time sky’s will take you “out of this world.”
Self-motivated adventurers can easily locate several designated dark-sky viewing sites just up the road in Lincoln County. Experience the same dark sky that the pioneers saw and cowboys still see. The vastness will put the world into perspective – whether it’s gazing at the stars while camping, or as an astronomy enthusiast.
The Lincoln County Authority of Tourism (LCAT) is here to make the experience easier with a short list of our Dark Sky Viewing areas.
Although it lacks developed facilities, the Pahroc Wash Trailhead, at the edge of Basin and Range National Monument, offers a flat surface and a relatively unobstructed 360º view. The site is readily accessible from State Route 318, a paved road. It is situated in a valley surrounded by mountains which form an effective screen against light pollution threats. Tent camping is allowed, but parking RVs is not permitted.
From a night-sky quality perspective, this is a truly excellent site. There are few accessible locations in the Lower 48 U.S. states that routinely achieve its level of nighttime darkness where there is less than 0.5% artificial light at the zenith – an essentially unmeasurable number.
The Mt. Irish Campground is the first developed site in Basin and Range National Monument since its designation in 2015. Surrounded by the hills of the Mt. Irish Wilderness, it is mostly shielded from the direct effects of skyglow from the nearest towns. As a result, its sky quality is excellent, with under 1% artificial light at the zenith. However, the location is readily accessible, within about eight miles of the paved State Route 318.
Chief Mountain South Campground is probably the most conveniently located of the locations identified as it is only a few miles west of the town of Caliente along a major U.S. Route. However, its proximity to Caliente means that its night sky is somewhat compromised compared to more pristine sites. There is little in the way of topography to block the light dome of Caliente. The lack of topography, however, presents a largely unobstructed view of the night sky from this location.
The campground is a cleared, flat area conducive to viewing the night sky. A few basic amenities enhance its appeal to stargazers. Yet while this is a very easy site to get to, the topography and proximity to US 93 may present a problem at night due to headlights from vehicles on the adjacent highway. As an advantage, this area would provide a nice “light painting” opportunity to catch the stars and a streak of headlights.
This is an exceptionally dark Bortle 1 site with < 0.1% artificial light at the zenith. It has considerable user amenities given its location, which is simultaneously far from sources of nighttime light but convenient to travelers on U.S. Route 93. Patterson Pass Campground is very accessible to vehicle traffic on 93 and yet provides safe access to some of the darkest night skies in the United States.
These two state parks are spatially close to one another and share similar characteristics including virtually identical night sky quality. They are in defensible locations, yet they are readily accessible to the public. The sky quality at each park is excellent and they are prime candidates for an International Dark Sky Designation.