The Geminids — the most active meteor shower of the year!

Join us for the most active meteor shower of the year — the Geminids! This event will feature four nights of camping onsite under dark skies, with two of the nights featuring huge telescopes, astronomy lectures, and nightscape photography workshops. There will also be a Q&A session with the astrophysicist on Saturday afternoon.

A waning third-quarter moon means plenty of dark skies!

This year the peak of the Geminids falls during a waning third-quarter moon, which means there will be plenty of dark skies earlier in the night, with the moon rising later and later into the early morning hours as the event progresses. Not only is the Geminids the most active meteor shower of the year with up to 100+ meteors per hour, but it also traditionally features long, streaking fireballs like the one pictured above. It should be a great show!

Event activities include up to FOUR NIGHTS of fun:

• View the cosmos through huge telescopes on Friday & Saturday nights, along with solar viewing during the day

• Astronomy lecture on Friday and Saturday nights

• Q&A with an Astrophysicist on Saturday afternoon

• Food truck Friday and/or Saturday TBD

• Arrive as early as 1:00 pm on Thursday the 11th to enjoy an extra night of camping under the peak of the Geminids, and leave as late as 1:00 pm on Monday the 15th to grab an extra night of meteors at the end of the event — enjoy up to FOUR NIGHTS total!

• Nighttime photography workshops on Friday and Saturday nights offered as optional add-ons — Bring your DSLR or mirrorless camera, tripod, lenses (wide angle preferred), and handheld timer if you have one.

• There is no cell reception in the area but there is a Free WiFi Zone courtesy of Starlink

• Download (nearly) real-time pics of galaxies and nebulae to your phone onsite with our AstroPicPortal!

• Giveaways on Friday & Saturday nights TBA

• T-Shirts are pre-order only! We don’t expect to have extras to sell onsite, so if you want to secure a t-shirt, please order one here.

• Onsite camping included in ticket price for all attendees — you bring your own tent/RV/camper van/favorite camp setup. There are no RV hookups available at this primitive location.

• There is no water or electricity onsite — bring everything you would need for your camping setup

• Please pack it in and pack it out at this primitive location — there are no trash or recycling services

• Vast desert views and amazing sunsets as well as endless nearby day trips to pursue on your own in Death Valley, Trona Pinnacles, Darwin Falls, and the list goes on!

• The forecasted temperatures are daytime highs in the low 60s, with overnight lows around the high 30s to low 40s

• Small campfires are allowed as long as they are small and don’t disturb the dark skies for your neighbors

• Friendly dogs are welcome

• Clean porta-potties comprise our restroom accommodations

• The last 8 miles to get to the location are on a county maintained dirt road which any type of vehicle can navigate. More info on driving directions below and in your order confirmation.

• If you’re camping in a tent, be sure you’re using at least 12” stakes to withstand the occasional gust of wind.

• We ask that no generators be used overnight, and only modern “quiet-type” generators be used during the day if needed.

• Please only use red lights after dark, and if you must use a white light, shield it as much as possible from your neighbors.

• Dark skies and good company!

You bring your own camping setup — tent/RV/camper van, food, water, lawn chairs for movies if you want them, headlamps (preferably with a red light option), etc., and we’ll bring the porta-potties, a location with amazing views and dark skies, and all the goodies mentioned above.

*** Please note that this is primitive camping aside from the porta-potties — there is no water or electricity or trash collection onsite.

Located just west of Death Valley in scenic Panamint Valley, the event will take place on 80 acres of pristine private property (Google map link here as well as below). Any vehicle can navigate the county maintained dirt road to get there. More detailed direction can be found below.

A county maintained dirt road that any vehicle can traverse

The route to this site includes a county maintained dirt road for the final 8 miles which is generally in good condition as far as dirt roads go. Any type of vehicle can make it.

Depending on your vehicle type, and if you have a trailer, one can generally travel about 10-45 mph on this final 8 miles. Arrival time is anytime after 1 PM on Thursday, December 11th, and check out time is by 1 PM on Monday, December 15th. This event is being held at our Death Valley Starcamp, which is just west of the national park boundary near the ghost town of Ballarat, California. Click here for a map of the location. Any type of vehicle can navigate the county maintained dirt road to this location. RVs are fine as well.

Great winter weather

The average weather for mid December in Panamint Valley calls for sunny and clear skies with daytime highs in the mid-high 60s, and overnight (early morning) lows in the high 30s to low 40s.

Early Bird Tickets On Sale Now!

***T-Shirts are by pre-order only and will not be sold at the event.

All Sales Final

Ticket credit insurance is built into every ticket! Please note that all sales are final and no refunds will be given, however, if you can’t attend for any reason - even last minute - you’ll be able to forward the face value of your ticket for a time period of one year to a future Dark Sky Festival or Meteor Shower Party happening at our Panamint Valley, CA or Sage Valley, NV locations (we typically have 3 - 4 events each year) EXCEPT for the California Dark Sky Festival. If the event has to be canceled for some crazy reason from our end, your ticket(s) will be credited towards any future Panamint Valley or Sage Valley Dark Sky Festival or Meteor Shower Party EXCEPT for the California Dark Sky Festival with no expiration! You're also welcome to sell/giveaway your ticket to family/friends/strangers in the event that you cannot attend.

Sponsored by:

Awesome day trips in the area

There are several awesome places in the area to explore during the day as well, including the Trona Pinnacles, the ghost town of Ballarat, Death Valley itself, Darwin Falls, and countless canyons with old structures and mining ruins.

See you at the Geminids Meteor Shower Party!

***T-Shirts are by pre-order only and will not be sold at the event.

All Sales Final

Ticket credit insurance is built into every ticket! Please note that all sales are final and no refunds will be given, however, if you can’t attend for any reason - even last minute - you’ll be able to forward the face value of your ticket for a time period of one year to a future Dark Sky Festival or Meteor Shower Party happening at our Panamint Valley, CA or Sage Valley, NV locations (we typically have 3 - 4 events each year) EXCEPT for the California Dark Sky Festival. If the event has to be canceled for some crazy reason from our end, your ticket(s) will be credited towards any future Panamint Valley or Sage Valley Dark Sky Festival or Meteor Shower Party EXCEPT for the California Dark Sky Festival with no expiration! You're also welcome to sell/giveaway your ticket to family/friends/strangers in the event that you cannot attend.