If you find yourself searching for peace, calm, and relaxation, stargazing might be just what you need. In last year’s Adventure Guide, our Stargazing In Cameron County feature noted that area is blessed with many beautiful open spaces, steep forested mountains, clean flowing waterways, and dark skies that offer exceptional starry nights, perfect for stargazing. That story also mentioned that county officials were working on dark skies designation and developing a Stargazing Park to offer visitors a place built to enjoy the amazing night sky over Cameron County.
During 2023 steps were made in the journey towards the dark skies designation. With a lot of planning and work from County officials and help with funding from Pennsylvania Lumber Hertiage Region, there are now four stargazing locations for visitors to enjoy in Cameron County with plans for a fifth location to be added in the future.
- 1. Moore Hill Stargazing area is near State Game Lands #14 via Moore Hill Road. (41.46425197129469, -78.31511400318615)
2. The Whittimore Hill Stargazing area is accessed via May Hollow Road.
(41°28’06.6″N 78°13’39.5″W)
3. Bucktail Overlook or “Top of the World” can be reached via Mason Hill Road from Sterling Run or Driftwood. (41.34982480922727, -78.15349680319066)
4. Sinnemahoning State Park along Route 872. (41.422685619304225, -78.02948741676141)
Keep up to date with stargazing opportunities and events on Facebook Look Up Cameron County
Stargazing Tips:
- Give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
- Using red flashlights to navigate will help your eyes adjust. The longer you can go without looking at artificial lighting or headlights, the better your night vision will be. Keep an eye on the weather when planning on going stargazing.
- Cool and windless nights offer the best viewing conditions. Hot and windy days mean more motion in the atmosphere, which distorts the light from stars.
- Smartphone apps like Stellarium and Google Sky can be useful. Just point your phone skyward to see the names of major stars, planets, and constellations appear on your screen. Make sure to set your phone’s display as dim as possible to preserve your night vision.
There is also great news for cyclists that want to visit Cameron County. They can now ride the new Elk State Forest Bicycle Trail System in Shippen and Lumber Townships on the Elk State Forest and Lyme Timber Easement near the Emporium Country Club. There are changes to the annual Gravel Bikes Race in 2024.
This year, Project Pedal is presenting Beyond the Dirt. It will be held the weekend of August 16-18 at the Cameron County Fairgrounds. Experienced rider Jeff Weidow is taking the lead on organizing the event which will remain a Sinnemahone Triple Crown qualifier.
Cameron County is now the perfect place to bring mountain bikes for a fun ride during the day and lawn chairs and binoculars for stargazing at night.
Find more great places to explore in Cameron County and across Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region at VisitPAGO.com.
