Bask in the wonders of the cosmos at Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory—which helps amateur astronomers understand the depths of outer space with the largest collection of publicly accessible telescopes in the United States. All year long, staff members and volunteers bring together telescopes of varying sizes to showcase stars, planets, satellites, moons, constellations, galaxies, meteor showers, and other cosmic curiosities. Depending on the night, visitors can enjoy a 1.5-hour, in-depth session that begins with an educational overview—or an hour-long affair that dives right into the nighttime viewing. Each session ends with a guided constellation experience.
In 2021, Prineville Reservoir State Park was named a certified Dark Sky Park by the nonprofit organization DarkSky International—becoming the first park in Oregon and only the second place anywhere in the state to receive such a designation. The designation reflected the park’s commitment to limiting artificial light after dark, as well as its remote location (nearly 16 miles south of Prineville and about 30 miles northeast of Bend). That combination of factors means that the night sky over Prineville Reservoir is remarkably clear and free of what’s known as light pollution—any light created by building, streetlights, or headlights that might otherwise wash out the sky.
If you feel like you’ve walked onto the moon when you arrive at Dee Wright Observatory, you’re not alone: In 1964, NASA astronauts conducted drills in the rocky, jet-black lava flows at the base of the stone observatory to prepare for travel to the moon. Dee Wright Observatory was constructed in 1935 in the heart of the Cascade Range; today, it sits at the summit of McKenzie Pass and offers 360-degree views that are splendid day and night. The lava flows around the observatory date back 2,000 to 2,700 years.
Pine Mountain Observatory sits 34 miles from Bend, away from light pollution, and atop a mountain that’s 6,300 feet above sea level. That location, coupled with a variety of telescopes, have made it one of the region’s top stargazing destinations. There, on a clear night, visitors might spy stars, planets, comets, and other celestial wonders. The observatory, operated by the University of Oregon Department of Physics, mostly conducts research and observes astronomical activity—but opens its doors to the general public on select Friday and Saturday nights each summer. Volunteers and on-site guides typically make their telescopes available for public use, and visitors can stargaze through a 24-inch Cassegrain reflector that dates back to 1967.
