The Dark Ranger Observatory
bryce Canyon, Utah
Close enough to be a 15-minute drive, from "civilization" and yet middle-of-nowhere enough to showcase SUPER-dark night sky! This is also the 'mother-ship' for the largest 'fleet' of hands-on, publicly accessible, BIG telescopes in the 4-corners region.
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Dark Ranger Telescope Tours 1-mile South, East Fork Road #087 Bryce Canyon, UT 84764 435-590-9498 enter business name into your nav app * 
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For the "Old School" Navigators: Latitude: 37° 41' 17.08" N or 37.688078 Longitude: 112° 12' 0.35" W or -112.200097 
The Dark Ranger Observatory includes 2 different facilities: a public observatory (image at left) for public tours, and a nearby private observatory (above) for smaller private tours. Exact location of the private observatory is kept secret until after booking is confirmed.
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The Summer Milky Way towers over the Dark Ranger Observatory (public facility) while "in-show". This photo is a non-exaggerated likeness of how the human-eye, after being adjusted to night vision, sees the Sagittarius Arm (northern hemisphere summer Milky Way) of our galaxy from our location.
Google Maps, like the interactive map below, will guide you to us correctly. Bing Maps and HERE WeGo can also be trusted. As far as we know, Apple Maps (though we had to sue them before they got it right) now also works.
Waze (because it's user-made and most users can't read maps let alone edit/make them) might take on a frightening back-woods, lengthy , "scenic" route, from which you might get temporarily lost while trying to follow those instructions. But we've never permanently lost anybody... as far as we know. Hmmm, I wonder if that might explain the occasional no-shows?
Otherwise... Just enter the business name "Dark Ranger Telescope Tours" into your other navigational app.
Waze (because it's user-made and most users can't read maps let alone edit/make them) might take on a frightening back-woods, lengthy , "scenic" route, from which you might get temporarily lost while trying to follow those instructions. But we've never permanently lost anybody... as far as we know. Hmmm, I wonder if that might explain the occasional no-shows?
Otherwise... Just enter the business name "Dark Ranger Telescope Tours" into your other navigational app.
Alternatively, if you are one of the few Earthlings with true map-reading skills and/or have image-to-landmark recognition, you can download helpful driving directions (similar to what is posted below) here:
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Driving map to our NEW Observatory location on the west side of Bryce Canyon. NOTE: We are no longer in Tropic.
Pictorial Directions to the Dark Ranger Observatory
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If you are driving from Bryce Canyon or Tropic:
- Continue west on Hwy 12 until mile marker 11 - Turn left (south) on to East Fork Rd #087 - Drive 1 mile (gravel road). - Turn left (east) into our driveway |
If you are driving from Panguitch or Hatch (or Zion, LA, Seattle, Tierra Del Fuego):
- Continue east on Hwy 12 until mile maker 10 - Turn right (south) on to East Fork Rd #087 - Drive 1 mile (gravel road). - Turn left (east) into our driveway |
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Then when you can see the observatory, GLOWING RED at night (see photo at top of page), on the left, start looking for our lit banner, also on the left hand side...
Continue through our open gate, park in our lower parking lot (unless you or a passenger are mobility impaired, then use the handicap parking on top) and you are there!
"LookS like fun, But Your OBSERVATORY is far, FAR, away from Where we Live...
Can THE Dark Rangers Come to us instead?
Yes we can! Follow this link to learn more about our "Road Show" Telescope Tours.
