Why a Wilderness Rafting Trip is the Ultimate Astrotourism Adventure
Imagine laying on your back on a beautiful white sand beach staring into the mesmerizing depths of darkness and light, millions of stars and galaxies twinkling above you punctuated by an occasional meteor streaking across the night sky. A band of celestial gas streaks across the horizon- the milky way- shining in all its glory. Very few people get to experience this in their life, and according to NOAA, 80% of Americans can no longer see the milky way from their homes. So how do you find yourself experiencing a truly dark night sky?
The answer is in the middle of a wilderness area in a river canyon during a multi-day rafting trip. Wilderness rafting trips offer some of the best night sky viewing in the world. True isolation, miles from cities and roads, protected river canyons, and tranquil camping make the perfect setting to experience immersive stargazing.
What is Astrotourism?
Astrotourism is a burgeoning trend. It comprises people seeking out truly dark night skies to experience the stars like the olden days, before electricity and cities changed the way we see the night. Some people are planning entire stargazing vacations around this, while many more are including at least one dark sky experience as part of a larger trip.
In 2001, an amateur astronomer by the name of John E Bortle developed a scale to make it easy to understand just how dark a sky was, and therefore how easy it was to view celestial bodies. The scale goes 1-9 with a 1 being the darkest and clearest night sky. Under an 8-9 sky, one can easily read without additional light, very few stars are visible. Lucky for us, due to large protected areas such as the Frank-Church River of No Return Wilderness area and the Owyhee River Wilderness, we get to enjoy rivers with a perfect, Bortle 1, night sky. See the darkest places near you or your next adventure by using this Light Pollution Map!
Rafting truly is the best way to experience the night sky and get a digital detox at the same time. For one, it is one of the most comfortable ways to get deep into the heart of a wilderness or otherwise protected area. Large rafts piled with gear such as tables and chairs, a camp kitchen that would make Gordan Ramsay have something nice to say, coolers full of delicious food and cold beverages, and the list goes on. It certainly beats carrying everything on your back. River campsites offer sweeping views of the night sky, and the sound and rhythm of the river bring you into a peaceful trance. Combine that with leaving your technology and stress at home, phone off, and get a true break from screen time, your eyes adjust to seeing even the faintest pin-prick of light in the sky. Often you'll get a guide with a passion for astronomy that will guide your stargazing too. That’s part of what makes rafting some of the most memorable stargazing trips and stargazing vacations out there.
The Best Places to See the Milky Way on a River Trip
So, what are the very best rivers for stargazing?
The Middle Fork of the Salmon
The Middle Fork is hands down one of the best rivers for stargazing and the best place to see the milky way. In the heart of the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, the whole 100 miles feature a Bortle 1 sky. In addition, the high alpine environment makes for crisp clean air that easy to see through and being at high elevation means less atmosphere between you and the stars which can scatter the light.
The Main Salmon
The Main Salmon enjoys almost all the same benefits as the Middle Fork. It's still in the Frank Church wilderness and also has a Bortle 1 sky. Sections of the Main Salmon offer a wider canyon offering a greater breadth of night sky for your viewing enjoyment, and when you do get to camp on a big sandy beach, there aren’t any trees blocking part of the view. It is another one of our favorite rivers for wilderness stargazing and dark-sky travel.
The Owyhee and Bruneau
The Owyhee and Bruneau rivers, our desert gems also offer incredible night skies and brilliant stars. The sections we raft fall into a Bortle 2 night sky, but the dry desert air and isolation still make this some of the best star gazing in the country. For anyone building stargazing vacations around dramatic landscapes and remote camps, these rivers are hard to beat.
Hells Canyon and The Lower Salmon
The Snake River through Hells Canyon and the Lower Salmon River Canyons also offer expansive sky views and Bortle 2 skies. The sandy beaches on the Salmon River Canyons are an all time favorite locale for relaxed star gazing. In August, the water is often warm enough to take a night time dip under the blanket of stars above.
The Rogue River
Brilliant stars can also be found on the Rogue River. We recommend our Rogue Camping Trips for the best start viewing experience, but for those who want the comfort of a bed and epic stars, our Rogue River Lodge trips offer the best of both world making it a great intro into astrotourism.
In Mid August, the Perseid Meteor showers peak and can offer epic shows of shooting stars falling through our atmosphere, sometimes as many as 60-100 per hour. Viewing this annual event from the river is the experience of a lifetime.
How to Prepare for Your Stargazing Vacation
Before you go and book your stargazing trip, there's a few more things you should consider.
First, pick a trip that features a New Moon or otherwise small (crescent) moon. Second, be sure you have the right gear. This includes a red-light headlamp as the red light doesn’t ruin yours or others night vision as you navigate a dark campsite. If you don’t have an expert guide to teach you the stars, you might consider a star-gazing app to help you identify some constellations, Star Walk 2 and Night Sky 11 are beginner friendly options. Just note that any time you look at your screen, you are losing your night vision and it can take 30 minutes to fully re-adjust.
Astrotourism on the River Stays With You
When you finally get out on the river, settle down to digest your delicious dinner, and gaze up into space, I guarantee you will be filled with awe. When you see and begin to understand the sheer magnitude and vastness of the universe, it's impossible not to feel small. Its a helpful reset in our busy world. We don’t often slow down and take the time to feel in awe; to look up at the sky and contemplate just how special it is to simply exist as a part of all that is out there. In a world that never sleeps, the river is where we find the night again.
