Death Valley National Park to host the 2026 Dark Sky Festival

Release date: February 2, 2026

Death Valley National Park to host the 2026 Dark Sky Festival 

Death Valley, Calif. – The National Park Service and partners invite the public to the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival on Feb. 6–8. This popular annual event includes talks by researchers, family-friendly activities, and stargazing under one of the darkest night skies in the United States.

Death Valley National Park offers incredible views of the Milky Way and other celestial phenomena thanks to its remote location and minimal light pollution. Its unique landscape has helped scientists understand other planets and moons. The Dark Sky Festival highlights the importance of preserving dark skies and celebrates Death Valley’s role as a planetary analog.

The Death Valley Dark Sky Festival includes presenters and support from California Institute of Technology, Death Valley Natural History Association, the Las Vegas Astronomical Society, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute.

Stargazing

Numerous telescopes will provide views of planets, star clusters, and other celestial wonders. The telescopes will be available at Furnace Creek Airport from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will be ranger-guided constellation tours at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 p.m.

Guest Speakers

Renowned scientists and engineers will present on topics ranging from astrophotography to Mars exploration. There will be talks on a variety of topics in Furnace Creek Visitor Center’s auditorium all three days. The daytime talks are first-come, first-served.

The keynote talks at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday require a free ticket to reserve space, available at 8 a.m. the prior day at the Visitor Center.

Exploration Fair

The public can interact one-on-one with researchers and try out hands-on activities at exhibit booths in the courtyard behind Furnace Creek Visitor Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Family-Friendly Activities

The festival features engaging programs for all ages, including an exploration fair, interactive family activities, and nighttime ranger talks designed to inspire curiosity about the universe.

This event is expected to be very popular. The National Park Service recommends that attendees allow extra time find parking, especially for events at the Visitor Center. The event schedule is available at nps.gov/deva.

–www.nps.gov/deva-

Death Valley National Park is the homeland of the Timbisha Shoshone and preserves natural resources, cultural resources, exceptional wilderness, scenery, and learning experiences within the nation’s largest conserved desert landscape and some of the most extreme climate and topographic conditions on the planet. Learn more at www.nps.gov/deva.

News Staff