Bring your cameras, telescopes, and ice chest.

Join us for a camping weekend in Joshua Tree! As many of you know, we are launching our new business – SkiesAway www.skiesaway.com – hosting night sky and telescope tours. This is our trial run, and we’d love to have friends join us and provide feedback for future events!

We have a group camp reserved at Cottonwood Campground, Group Site 2. We have limited space, so please reserve a free ticket. We have a limit of 10 cars – please carpool if possible.

Thursday, September 14: Astrophotography Workshop & Camping

Bryan will be hosting a small group for an astrophotography workshop. If you would like to stay for the full weekend, please reserve a ticket for both Thursday night and Friday-Saturday. You are welcome to bring your telescope and camera. We will cover astrophotography with a telescope, as well as nightscape imaging with a DSLR camera.

Friday, September 15: Telescope Viewing & Camping

We will have telescope viewing day and night:

– Daytime solar viewing with a Hydrogen-Alpha solar telescope.

– Nighttime star gazing with a wide-field telescope and larger, high-powered telescope

– Early arrivals for Saturday are welcome

Saturday, September 16: Star Party, Night Sky Tour & Camping

– Early evening telescope viewing

– Night sky tour

– Group campfire with s’mores

We will likely take short hikes from camp during the day. We may head to the north end of the park during the day, too.

Please bring:

– Your own tent and sleeping bags

– Your own food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

– Water

– Remember, we’ll be out in the desert, and cell phone reception is unlikely! Please map your route before heading out.

Directions

Cottonwood Campground is near the South Entrance near Cottonwood Spring. There is an access point along Interstate 10, 25 miles east of Indio. The Campground is off of Pinto Basin Road, next to The Cottonwood Visitor Center.