# Long Sault Conservation Area

Region: Durham, ON, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates: 44.0667, -78.7833
Bortle class: 4 (1 = pristine, 9 = inner city)
Drive from Toronto: ≈ 1.5 hours east via Highways 401 and 35/115.
Best time: October through March — leaves are off the trees opening up the horizon, the air dries out, and the sun sets early enough that you don't have to commit a whole night.
Established: Conservation area since 1972; long-running observing site for the Durham Region Astronomical Association.

## Overview
Long Sault sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is a quietly important fact: the moraine is high ground, and high ground above Lake Ontario means you're looking down on a thin layer of haze rather than through it. Bortle 4 isn't pristine, but the open hilltop fields catch a real southern view and the Durham Region Astronomical Association has worn a path here for a reason — it's the closest meaningful step away from Toronto's dome that you can do as a school-night drive.

## What to see
Brighter Milky Way star clouds, Andromeda, Pleiades, planetary opposition viewing.

## Highlights
- Open hilltop fields with a usable south horizon
- Frequented by the Durham Region Astronomical Association
- Quiet enough for astrophotography sessions

## Tips
- Park gate hours change seasonally — confirm before driving out
- Bring a portable shelter; the hilltop is exposed to wind
- Look north-east for the darkest direction — Toronto's dome dominates the south-west

## Live forecast
View the live tonight-score and 48-hour forecast for Long Sault at:
https://ontarionightsky.com/?site=long-sault

Structured data: https://ontarionightsky.com/sites/long-sault.json


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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=long-sault.