Have you ever actually seen the Milky Way with your own eyes? Not a photo — the real thing, overhead, arching across a pitch-black sky? If not, this episode is for you.

Susan and Monica dive into the world of Dark Sky Parks — what they are, how places earn that designation, and what it actually takes to visit one and see something that will genuinely blow your mind.

🌠 IN THIS EPISODE:

• What a Dark Sky Park actually is (and why 99% of Americans have never seen a truly dark sky)

• The 5 types of Dark Sky designations — parks, reserves, sanctuaries, communities & urban night sky places

• How a park becomes certified — the 1-3 year process, the Bortle Scale, and what it all means

• How many dark sky places exist in the US and worldwide

• Why 70% of wildlife species are nocturnal — and why protecting dark skies matters for animals too

• The visitor protocol: moon phases, red lights, dark adaptation, what to pack & what NOT to do (Susan's headlight story 😬)

• McDonald Observatory's Star Party near Alpine, TX — a great local option!

• Book recommendation: "Stikky Night Skies" by Laurence Holt — a beginner-friendly star guide we loved

• App recommendation: Stellarium Mobile

• Plus: telescope farms, buying a star, and a book giveaway coming soon!

⏱️ CHAPTERS: See below ↓

📚 MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

→ Stikky Night Skies by Laurence Holt (part of a series of books)

→ Stellarium Mobile Star App (free)

→ McDonald Observatory Star Party — Fort Davis, TX (~$25/person)

→ DarkSky International: darksky.org

🏕️ NOTABLE US DARK SKY PARKS:

Joshua Tree · Arches · Bryce Canyon · Death Valley · Big Bend · Zion · Great Basin · Mammoth Cave

🎙️ Two Chicks with Hiking Sticks covers the cultural, historical, and natural wonders of the world around us. New episodes regularly — subscribe so you don't miss one!

Don't forget to check out the Stikky Night Skies

https://stikky.com/

#DarkSkyParks #Stargazing #NationalParks #MilkyWay #NightSky #Astronomy #HikingPodcast #TwoChicksWithHikingSticks #BigBend #McDonaldObservatory

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.