Tiny Antelope, population 37, became Oregon’s first International Dark Sky Community at the end of 2024, following a community data-gathering and outreach effort, as well as some changes to outdoor lighting. Key to the campaign was Brandie McNamee, who also secured a Dark Sky lodging certification for Antelope Basecamp, a cluster of cabins on her family’s property that were once part of the Rajneesh compound. Now, a tagline of the town is the chance to "see the Milky Way from Main Street."

On the John Day River, just over 20 miles south of Wasco, this state park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2024. Campgrounds and cabins are open year-round, and the lack of reliable cell service means screens can be stowed, leaving even fewer lights on the ground to interfere with the show above. 

While the darkness underground is a given, the Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve, outside of Cave Junction near the California border, earned International Dark Sky Park designation in 2024, in part thanks to the light buffer provided by old-growth forests and the Siskiyou Mountains.

At nearly 4,000 square miles, mostly on protected public land, this Lake County expanse is the world’s largest official Dark Sky Sanctuary. The high desert landscape means few trees block the view, which can be taken in from the many natural hot springs dotting the area.

The state park on a dammed section of the Crooked River, about 30 miles from the bright lights of Bend, got an International Dark Sky Park designation in 2021. Camping overnight is the best way to get a view and catch the occasional ranger-led evening program. Nonccampers parking here after-hours need to fill out a stargazing permit, which hilariously states, "Stargazing is allowed only in the designated day-use areas." Be careful where you look up!

Following in Antelope’s footsteps, the town of Sisters became the state’s second Dark Sky Community last year (the first in the country was Flagstaff, Arizona, in 2001). In addition to taming its outdoor lighting, the town now boasts an astronomy curriculum at the local high school.