p showing a dark blob in northcentral Pennsylvania. Cherry Springs was right in the middle.
Harrison, who had been seeking a way to bring more people to the area, took the stargazing ball and ran with it.
Recognizing the preciousness of the untainted night, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2000 designated Cherry Springs as its first and only dark-sky state park. A number of night amenities and public programs — viewing events, laser-guided night-sky tours and night-sky photography workshops— have been added through the years to secure its place among the best dark-sky places to visit.
Today, the park draws 85,000–90,000 people a year. On any clear night, year-round, there will be stargazers there.
On one side of PA Route 44—designated in 2019 by the state as “Highway to the Stars”—is the Night Sky Public Viewing Area. Here, the general public can set up and stargaze all night. For free.
On the other side of the highway is the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field. This area is used by more serious stargazers with telescopes, and particularly by astrophotographers who use combinations of cameras, computers, telescopes and rotating tripods.
It’s serious business on this side of the road. Users pay a per-night fee and have access to electricity, Wi-Fi and randomly scattered concrete pads for their expensive equipment. At dark, a shrouded gate closes to keep people from driving in and spoiling exposures. If you turn on so much as a dome light in your vehicle, be prepared to be peppered with outrage. It’s not uncommon for these high-tech folks to doze in camp chairs during the day, then tend to their equipment all night.
You can read this story in its entirety, including tips on visiting Cherry Springs State Park, at bayjournal.com.