Stargazing
Not all the stars are in Hollywood!
Surprise Valley Ranch is located at over 8,000 feet in altitude. The night sky here is so brilliant that many nights it seems you could reach out and caress the stars. It gets dark here, and we don't mean dark as in small towns or back country roads...we mean DARK. The only lights are right here on the ranch, and we can generally turn those off for you if you want to stargaze right from your porch. (Or you can take an easy night hike down the road a bit, or up the path to our High Meadow where the darkness is absolute.) The combination of the high altitude and the lack of light pollution adds up to absolutely incredible views of the night sky, with the added ambience of the howling coyote, the hoot of the owl and the smell of piñon and wild sage wafting across the air.
Amateur astronomers will love the night views they'll see here, whether with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope brought from home.
For those wishing to have a truly astronomical experience or for those wishing to set up their own star party, it is sometimes possible for us to arrange for a professional astronomer to come do a private presentation using his own equipment. If you think you might be interested in this, please let us know well in advance so we can see if our night sky guru is available during your stay.