Death Valley National Park hosts Star Party on 7 November
Published on 10/18/2026 at 02:10 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Death Valley National Park will host the Star Party at Fiddlers' Campground near Furnace Creek on 7 November 2026, with a second evening scheduled for 6 November. The public programme brings park rangers and the Las Vegas Astronomical Society together for telescope viewing in the desert.
Star Party brings two nights of telescope viewing
The Star Party is listed by the National Park Service as a special event at Fiddlers' Campground on 7 November 2026. Visitors may arrive between 6pm and 9pm, while the listed programme begins at 7pm and runs for three hours.
The organisers describe the event as a two-night programme on 6 and 7 November 2026. Stargazing is scheduled from 7pm to 10pm on both evenings, according to the Fall 2026 programme. The Las Vegas Astronomical Society will set up telescopes, while Death Valley rangers will take part in the public event.
The National Park Service says the event is free to attend. White light should be limited so that visitors can adjust their eyes to the night sky.
Fiddlers' Campground connects astronomy with desert geology
Fiddlers' Campground lies behind the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, making the site a practical base for a night programme centred on the sky. Parking is at the visitor centre, followed by a short walk to the campground, according to the National Park Service event listing.
The setting also places the Star Party within a landscape shaped by a long geological record. The park contains exposed rocks ranging from ancient metamorphic formations to recent playa sediments, while Furnace Creek lies within a basin marked by salt deposits and mountain ranges.
That combination gives the programme a direct link to the place itself: visitors can examine the night sky from a campground beside the park's visitor centre, while the surrounding terrain records geological processes that continue to shape the valley.
Saturday adds solar viewing at Furnace Creek
The 7 November programme includes solar viewing at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center from 10am to 2pm. Telescopes and solar equipment will be used for daytime observation before the evening session returns to Fiddlers' Campground.
The two parts of the programme offer different ways to experience the same site. Daylight observation is based at the visitor centre, while the night-time event moves to the campground and asks participants to reduce white light around the telescopes.
Visiting Death Valley National Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Star Party takes place on 6 and 7 November 2026 at Fiddlers' Campground, with the National Park Service listing the main event for 7 November 2026.
- The event is free to attend. Parking is at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, followed by a short walk to Fiddlers' Campground.
- Stargazing is scheduled from 7pm to 10pm on 6 and 7 November 2026. Solar viewing takes place at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center from 10am to 2pm on 7 November 2026.
- The park has no public transport to or within its boundaries. The Furnace Creek area is reached by road, including California State Route 190 from the east or west.
- Night visitors should limit white light near the telescopes so that eyes can adjust to the dark sky.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Death Valley National Park
When does the Star Party take place at Death Valley National Park?
The Star Party takes place on 6 and 7 November 2026, with the National Park Service listing the main event for 7 November 2026.
Where is Death Valley National Park and how do you get there?
The park is in California and Nevada, with the Star Party based near Furnace Creek. There is no public transport to or within the park, so the event is reached by road.
What is the Star Party at Death Valley National Park?
It is a public astronomy programme involving Death Valley rangers and the Las Vegas Astronomical Society. Telescope viewing takes place at Fiddlers' Campground, with solar viewing at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center on 7 November 2026.
