John Day River canyon DSP — Oregon's second-largest state park.
Updated:
· Tonight: Friday, August 14, 2026
📍 North-central OR🌑 Bortle 3🚗 Along the John Day River in north-central Oregon, roughly 45 minutes south of The Dalles via Highway 206.📅 Certified an International Dark Sky Park in 2024.
About Cottonwood Canyon
Cottonwood Canyon is Oregon's second-largest state park, more than 8,000 acres of cliffs and grassland along the John Day River, and became one of the state's newest certified International Dark Sky Parks in late 2024. It's rugged, quiet, and largely undeveloped — a real change of pace from a typical state park.
What you can see in the sky
Milky Way over the canyon rims and John Day River, with minimal light interference from any direction.
Best time of year
Spring and fall bring the most comfortable temperatures; the park hosts an annual 'Night Sky Over Cottonwood Canyon' event in September.
Why this site is worth the drive
Newly certified International Dark Sky Park (2024)
Oregon's second-largest state park at over 8,000 acres
Dramatic basalt canyon scenery along the John Day River
Practical tips for Cottonwood Canyon
Very limited services on site — bring your own water and supplies
Trails and canyon terrain are exposed; watch footing after dark
Check for the annual fall dark-sky event for a guided experience
Live 48-hour forecast
Tonight's verdict above is a build-time snapshot. For the full
hourly view — cloud cover, transparency, seeing, smoke, humidity,
moon altitude and a Bortle-aware tonight score by observing mode
(visual, deep-sky, planetary, astrophoto) — open the live forecast:
The live page combines Open-Meteo weather, US-AQI wildfire smoke,
moon math and Bortle-scale darkness into a single tonight score
(0–100), updated continuously.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cottonwood Canyon good for stargazing tonight?
Tonight's verdict is Poor (Medium confidence). No sustained clear window; brief gaps possible (min cloud 9%).
When is the best time of year to stargaze at Cottonwood Canyon?
Spring and fall bring the most comfortable temperatures; the park hosts an annual 'Night Sky Over Cottonwood Canyon' event in September.
How long is the drive from Toronto?
Along the John Day River in north-central Oregon, roughly 45 minutes south of The Dalles via Highway 206.
What can I see in the sky here?
Milky Way over the canyon rims and John Day River, with minimal light interference from any direction.
How dark is the sky? (Bortle scale)
Cottonwood Canyon sits at Bortle class 3 on the 1–9 dark-sky scale, where 1 is a pristine wilderness sky and 9 is an inner-city sky.