The first part of any good journey is a destination, and for that all we need is somewhere dark. Which just so happens to be basically anywhere outside of the city sprawl.  Though, you’ll want to venture a bit farther if you’re really looking for stars.  Light pollution dulls the sky even when there isn’t a building or streetlight in sight.  You’ll need to find a spot that minimizes this pollution, and the best way for that is distance from the source. A great tool to check the level of light pollution of an area comes from lightpollutionmap.info. Here is the light pollution map for Edmonton.  Of course, you could drive hours out of town into the darkness for some amazing starry vistas, but most of us would rather keep the journey a bit more reasonable. Here are some locations that are a bit closer to Edmonton.   

The first location is set about 40 minutes outside of Edmonton at Cooking Lake Blackfoot Provincial Recreation area. This recommendation comes from the Royal Astronomer Society of Canada, who is a great resource for finding stellar star gazing spots.  There is no fee for entry at Blackfoot so if you’re looking for something inexpensive to do with your evening look no further. The park does close at 11pm however, so it might not be ideal for any late-night stargazers.  

The first location is set about 40 minutes outside of Edmonton at Cooking Lake Blackfoot Provincial Recreation area. This recommendation comes from the Royal Astronomer Society of Canada, who is a great resource for finding stellar star gazing spots.  There is no fee for entry at Blackfoot so if you’re looking for something inexpensive to do with your evening look no further. The park does close at 11pm however, so it might not be ideal for any late-night stargazers.  

If you’re looking for somewhere a little farther out, but not out in the wilderness the town of Bon Accord might be up your alley. They are a dark sky community which means they have rules about restricting light pollution.  Their aim is to preserve the night sky in and around the town. The town is about a 40-minute drive north from Edmonton up highway 28 or Range rd. 240.  

Looking for something a little more secluded?  Elk Island national park is another dark site listed by the Royal Astronomer Society of Canada.  It’s around 40 minutes outside of Edmonton which, if you’ve noticed, is about the minimum time it takes to reduce Edmonton’s light pollution.  One of the best outdoor activities to do here is the snowshoe star gazing, held on Fridays throughout the winter months.  

Of course, before you venture out you always want to make sure you are prepared.  Having the proper vehicle and equipment to stay safe during the winter is imperative. If you are ever in doubt about your vehicle you can always schedule a service appointment at Derrick Dodge before heading out.  If star gazing becomes your passion and you want to go deeper into the wilderness, consider a 4×4 or AWD vehicle. We have a wide selection here at Derrick Dodge of new and used vehicles that are perfect for going out into the starry night.