One of the most interesting places I have visited this year is the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary located about 150 miles north of Reno but easily accessible from Cedarville, California. Part of Dark Sky International, an organization which advocates protecting the night skies from light pollution; it’s designation marks this part of Nevada as one of the darkest places in the USA and the world. This vast area is so remote that the night sky is not impacted by human produced light resulting in some of the clearest star gazing available in the world. In fact, the Milky Way is visible by just the naked eye and the planets are so bright that it feels as if you can reach up and touch them. The night sky vistas are so immense and the number of stars so numerous it will bring tears to the eyes of the most cantankerous of old men.
The nights we were camping there the sky was teaming with stars as the coyotes howled in delight. Shooting stars flew across the night sky by the dozens and the magnificent Man in the Moon brought himself so close that you could hear his whispers as he spoke from the heavens above. This was in January 2025 and it was cold during the night with temperatures below freezing resulting in fluctuations of over 40 degrees between night and day. Since temperatures can reach over 100 degrees in the summer to me the optimum time to visit this amazing place would probably be spring or fall.
One benefit of no light pollution in an area is that it allows nocturnal animal habitats to thrive. Here you might find badgers, kangaroo rats, bats, mountain lions and a rattlesnake or two. Because of the isolation of this area it is important to bring what you might need to survive an emergency. Also, it is important to keep in mind that there is snowfall in the winter time so it is imperative to have enough supplies on hand to keep you warm and fed for several days. Further, you cannot count on cell service in this remote area so be sure to let loved ones know where you will be.
There are several markets in Cedarville (including Page’s) and at Alturas where you can pick up groceries and supplies. I can also recommend without reservation several eateries and cute little stores in Cedarville including The Vault (great coffee and knickknacks) and the Country Hearth Restaurant which serves fresh baked goods as well as amazingly large portion breakfasts.
There are numerous campgrounds in the area managed by the BLM which can be contacted for further information at:
Bureau of Land Management
602 Cressler St.
Cedarville, CA 96104
530-279-6101
While Massacre Rim takes a bit of planning and time to visit, its breathtaking night skies are out of this world and definitely worth a trip. In fact, I was so impressed and awestruck by what I experienced that I am now planning on visiting as many Dark Sky Sanctuaries as I possibly can.
For more information on Dark Sky viewing visit: dark sky.org
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