Stay Another Day, Book a Backup Night.
300 clear nights a year is big part of the reasons why the Dark Ranger Observatory is located where it is. Nevertheless, you can increase your chances of getting a good stargazing night with us by booking an extra night's stay in the Bryce Canyon area, and then booking a Backup Stargazing Night for that extra night.
Besides, there so much to do in the Bryce Canyon region, it's not like Zion area where it would be a waste of time and money to spend more than 1 night.
Besides, there so much to do in the Bryce Canyon region, it's not like Zion area where it would be a waste of time and money to spend more than 1 night.
Okay, but should our 1st or 2nd night be our primary night?
It doesn't really matter! We can usually predict our weather well enough that on the afternoon of whichever is your first night, we'll reach out to suggest the best night for you to attend. When it's too difficult to be sure, AND your backup night is your second night, that does creates an added fail-safe where you'll be invited to attend both nights.
Cloudy Sky Cancellation Policy
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The Weather is Different Here...
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If during the 2 to 3-hr course of a Telescope Tour, we fail to show you at least 1 example from 4 of 5 classes of astronomical objects (solar system object, double-star star cluster, galaxy, and nebulae), we offer 75% REFUNDS.
When we are sure it will be too stormy to use the telescopes (e.g. too dangerous to telescopes and/or humans to even try), we will send a text and email alert about how and why we must do a Hard Cancellation (85% Refund). Otherwise, when it is too close to call, you are still obligated to attend so as to earn your refund. We'll still offer the multimedia show while we wait for sky to clear. So at worst, you'll get a fun show with a 75% refund. At best the sky will clear, and there will be much rejoicing. If you leave too early or do not show-up at all, you are voiding your right to a refund regardless of whether our weather prediction was right or wrong. However, if you make an Backup Night Booking and we still fail, after 2 nights of trying, to show you at least 1 example of 4 of the 5 classes of astronomical objects, you will get 100% refund. Yes, we will even pay your credit card transaction fees. Finally, we reserve the right to do a weather delay up to 1 hour past the scheduled start time, if our weather expertise and experience suggests we can avoid bad weather by doing so. Of course you don't have to stay an extra hour later, but many of you will because we are that fun. |
Folks like to brag about their rapidly changing weather. In reality few places rival the clearing speed of the Colorado Plateau. The time-lapse video above shows a typical clearing event where sky goes from 100% overcast, with lightning, to 100% clear in 90 minutes! This is why weather delays are worth the wait.
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The bottom line is: Trust us! Since we run a weather dependent business, we have to be both VERY good at predicting our local weather, and generous when we're wrong. If we weren't, we would have already gone out of business, long ago. :-)
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Book an Backup Night for your Public Tour - $1 per ticket / per night
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Many tell us they plan their entire vacations around stargazing with the Dark Rangers. So if what we offer is also that important to you, book lodging/camping for more than one night in the Bryce Canyon region. Then book your Back-up night tickets for $1 each.
By booking 1 or more Backup nights at the Dark Ranger Observatory, you increase your chances of seeing our breathtaking night sky without being obscured by clouds. Though we routinely try to reschedule all guests to avoid cloudy nights, purchasing these tickets gives you top priority as we try to move guests from a cloudy night to a more likely to be clear night. NOTE: Backup night means you are booking a DIFFERENT night than your primary night. Backup night bookings are nonrefundable. Sorry, $1 doesn't even cover the $1.90 per booking charge our booking service requires, to say nothing of managing 2 guest lists every night.
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Additional Benefit: If in the rare event clouds prevent the use of telescopes on your intended night, and 1 or more Backup nights you booked, you will get a 100% refund including your transaction fees. In this way, the $1 per ticket provides you with some flexibility against cloudy weather - assuming you are staying in the area more than 1 night. Guests who do not purchase a Backup night ticket(s) are ONLY entitled to a 75% refund when the sky is too cloudy for telescopes on their primary night. NOTE: this $1 per person ticket is only valid with the full-price purchase of an equal number of telescope tour tickets for a primary (your intended) telescope tour night. |
Backup Night For Small Private Telescope Tours:
$2 per ticket / per night
Same increase-your-chances deal with the weather, as above, but specific to Small Private Telescope Tours.
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NOTE: Backup nights are not available for Large Private Telescope Tours. Due to the logistical costs of accommodating large private tours, they are only offered 75% refunds for cloudy nights.
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For the same reason as above, Small Private Tour Backup night bookings are also nonrefundable.
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Disclaimer: ( That you will later wish that you had read and not just skimmed ).
Purchasing Backup night tickets does NOT guarantee successful stargazing, it just increases your chances of success. It's possible your primary intended night and your 1 or more Backup nights might all be too cloudy. Other times, your Backup night might fill up with regular bookings. Because primary night bookings take precedence, we may be forced to VOID Backup night tickets, if we can't staff enough extra Dark Rangers and setup additional telescopes to maintain a good ratio of telescopes to guest. In this rare instance, backup night tickets will be refunded, in the reverse order in which they were purchased (similar to the policy of "last hired = first fired").
NOTE: We have NEVER had to do this before, but our attorney and accountant wanted us to put this "fine-print" wording here.
So, please pay attention to your email so that you will realize if and when your Backup night has been cancelled thus alerting you well enough in advance that you can exercise the option of re-booking another Backup -- assuming your vacation schedule allows. Or maybe just book your backup night now so you can be high on the list?
NOTE: We have NEVER had to do this before, but our attorney and accountant wanted us to put this "fine-print" wording here.
So, please pay attention to your email so that you will realize if and when your Backup night has been cancelled thus alerting you well enough in advance that you can exercise the option of re-booking another Backup -- assuming your vacation schedule allows. Or maybe just book your backup night now so you can be high on the list?
