There are no fire rings at the campsites at Calhoun County Park in West Virginia. Several buildings on the property, although equipped with exterior lights, remain dark every night. The visitors who come to the park wouldn’t have it any other way. They come from hundreds of miles in all directions to take advantage of the park’s very dark skies, some equipped with massive telescopes and others, like my son and me, with nothing more than our eyes. For them, and us, the darker, the better.

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   Located about 4 hours from the Miami Valley, Calhoun County Park is a magical place where visitors can see, un-aided, the Milky Way spread across the summer night sky, the galaxy in Orion’s belt in the winter, where the stars, planets and Moon seem close enough to touch, and where it is so peaceful and clear that a pond on the property holds a view of a thousand stars in its reflection. 

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   With no light or noise pollution, the rolling hills and clear vistas at the park allow guests to view the night sky in its natural splendor. It appears how it did for eons, before electricity. And the only sounds are crickets and frogs. Today, in the eastern United States, it is very hard to find this kind of setting. There’s simply too much light pollution.

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   Areas where there is little to no light pollution, and where astronomy is promoted, are known as Dark Sky parks.

   Although not yet officially a Dark Sky Park, Calhoun County Park is working on the designation. But for amateur astronomers, such as a man named Drew that my son and I met during our visit, Calhoun County is the second best place in the eastern United States to view the night sky.

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   “We have the Geauga Observatory Park near me,” Drew says, referring to his home in Cleveland, Ohio. “It’s an official International Night Sky Park. But, to me, for how close it is, Calhoun County is one of the best places to get this kind of view, without traveling out west.”

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   The number-one place, Drew says, and many others agree with him, is Cherry Springs State Park, located in Pennsylvania near the New York border. It is considered the darkest place in the eastern United States and is, in fact, so dark that on clear summer nights the Milky Way casts a visible shadow! 

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   For my son and me, Calhoun County Park was not only three hours closer than Cherry Springs State Park, but also more affordable. Our campsite, without electricity, was $10. A rental hall on the property, as well as eight campsites with electricity, is available for $20 per night. Drew said he and others rent the building in the winter to stay warm while stargazing. It has modern restrooms and showers and other household amenities, but not beds. The bathrooms are available to all visitors.

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   Arriving with plenty of daylight, my son and I were able to take advantage of the park’s daytime features, including excellent hiking trails, exploring an historic village on the property and brushing up on the constellations before nighttime arrived.

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   As the sun began to set, we took a blanket from our campground and walked to a playground on the top of a freshly mowed hill.   

   From this vantage point there were hardly any trees on the horizon, and no other people in sight. (We later learned that the three groups of campers at the park, including Drew and ourselves, was considered “a busy night.”)

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   Even before the sun was fully set, Jupiter popped into view, like a light had just been turned on in the sky. This was followed by Pluto and then, one after another, star after star “turned on.” At some point, they began appearing by the dozens, and then by the hundreds. Before we knew it, the entire sky was filled with stars, planets and satellites followed by (in summer) the arrival of the Milky Way.

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   My son and I had never seen the Milky Way in such detail, and we were both amazed at what we saw.

   Down the hill from the playground is the park’s pond, which has a comfortable wooden deck that overlooks the reflecting waters. Hours can be spent looking up, and down, at this location, which my son and I did. (Article continued below pictures)...