# Cypress Hills Interprovincial Dark Sky Preserve

Region: AB/SK border, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 49.6472, -110.1264
Bortle class: 2 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: Fly into Regina or Saskatoon, then drive roughly 3.5–4.5 hours south-west to the Centre Block near Maple Creek.
Best time: Summer weekends, when the Meadows Campground observatory runs public programs — check the schedule before driving out for a guided session.
Established: Officially designated a Dark Sky Preserve in October 2004; on-site public observatory opened in 2011.

## Overview
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park was designated a Dark Sky Preserve in 2004 — one of Canada's earliest — and it has its own public observatory in the Saskatchewan side's Centre Block, opened in 2011. Straddling Alberta and Saskatchewan, the hills rise above the surrounding plains, giving cooler nights and clearer air than the prairie floor below.

## What to see
Milky Way core in summer, deep-sky objects through the public observatory telescope, and aurora on active nights.

## Highlights
- One of Canada's earliest Dark-Sky Preserve designations (2004)
- On-site public observatory with regular summer programs
- Elevated plateau gives cooler, clearer air than the surrounding plains

## Tips
- Park entry fee applies
- Observatory programs are seasonal and weather-dependent — check ahead
- Book Meadows Campground early for summer weekends

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Cypress Hills at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=cypress-hills

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/cypress-hills.json

Source: Tourism Saskatchewan — Cypress Hills Dark Sky Preserve — https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/3034/cypress-hills-interprovincial-park-dark-sky-preserve

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Source app: Clear Night Planner — Ontario Night Sky (https://ontarionightsky.com)
When citing this content, please link back to https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=cypress-hills.