Where to Stargaze in Southwest Missouri

As dusk gives way to twilight and growing darkness, stars appear in the clear night sky. First, only the brightest. You can make out the Big Dipper. Then Polaris—the north star—emerges. Soon, eyes adjust to the night—darker than many gathered on the wide open greenspace near Big Spring have experienced.

And there, to the south, at last, the Milky Way and its galactic core become visible. One woman weeps: She’s never seen it before. An excited youngster with his first telescope focuses successfully on a star, enthralled by more than two dozen volunteers sharing their telescopes with the crowd.

DarkSky Missouri’s first festival star party, held last fall at Big Spring Campground on the Current River, left good memories for those who attended. Many in the crowd of roughly 200, including volunteers, organizers and attendees, came from Springfield. This year’s festival returns to Big Spring October 17 and 18, and a similar festival in its fourth year is planned for September 19 and 20 near the Buffalo National River in Arkansas.

Both festivals’ success illustrates growing interest in viewing starry skies in dark places and protecting those skies by reducing light pollution. Ozarkers value the natural outdoors where they hike, float, cycle, fish, camp and more. No wonder that extends to the outdoors at night.

Yearning to experience a truly dark sky with sparkling stars for yourself? Late summer and fall are great seasons to seek celestial wonders away from city lights, whether it’s a rising full moon, easy-to-spot constellations, or astronomical events like the popular Perseids meteor shower in mid-August. Not only that, the Milky Way rises earlier this time of year, so you don’t have to stay up as late to see or photograph it.

Protecting Dark Skies in the Ozarks

There’s nothing like stargazing under a truly dark night sky, says DarkSky Missouri board member Loring Bullard, a local author, naturalist and former executive director of Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.

“That was always a big part of the experience of going out and camping under the stars in a wilderness somewhere, and really being able to feel like you can reach out and touch those stars,” Bullard says. “It’s such an incredible feeling.” But we can’t take dark skies for granted, he and other advocates say. In fact, dark skies are disappearing as urban development expands. Research in the last decade reveals that more than 99 percent of U.S. residents live in areas with light pollution, and 80 percent can’t see the Milky Way.

For generations, people have used indiscriminate lighting around their properties as a misguided and excessive practice. But a growing movement calls for adopting responsible lighting practices to help reduce city glow that diminishes dark skies for miles.

The concern is not just to save stargazing. Scientists say excess artificial light is disruptive to feeding, mating and growing cycles for plants, insects, birds and animals. Living things—including people—need darkness, says Bullard. “Everything is tuned to that cycle of day and night.”

Cathy Webb of Springfield, who helps plan the Dark Sky Festival, is a board member with Bullard of DarkSky Missouri, a chapter of DarkSky International, the advocacy organization that bestows Dark Sky Place designations for deserving applicants. Webb is also a member of Greater Ozarks Audubon Society. She became interested in dark sky conservation when she learned how light pollution disrupts bird migration.

Reducing light pollution “is even, we’re finding out, important for things like the food system,” says Katherine Auld, an astronomy professor at Northwest Arkansas Community College and board member for Arkansas Natural Sky Association (ANSA), another affiliate of DarkSky International. That’s because pollination happens at night by moths, bats and other living things that come out at dark.

People often don’t know any of that until they attend an astronomy event, whether at a festival, a public viewing at Missouri State University’s Baker Observatory, through the Springfield Astronomical Society or at local and state parks. Those are good ways to connect people to the natural environment, Webb says, “where you can actually see what you’re helping to protect. The night sky evokes emotion. It’s an inviting environment that is full of wonder. People will remember that and they will want to protect it more.”

Spreading the Message

Bullard says it will take a culture shift to reduce light pollution, not only in parks and natural spaces, but in urban communities, too. Still, light pollution awareness is growing.

“There’s no question that the awareness is starting to spread,” says Bruce McMath, an amateur astronomer and retired lawyer who chairs ANSA. “It’s got a long way to go, but an increasing, significant part of the population has at least heard of light pollution.”

McMath says DarkSky International promotes the implementation of responsible lighting principles. Those principles include using light only when needed and no more than necessary, for instance, shielding fixtures so light only points down and not at the sky. That also includes using motion detectors and changing lights to warmer color temperatures.

The good news is, “we’ve got communities finally coming around and thinking about lighting ordinances and so forth,” McMath says. One of those is the city of Ozark, which in July 2021, passed a dark sky ordinance to adopt those responsible lighting principles. Spearheaded by Assistant City Administrator Cameron Smith, who worked with DarkSky Missouri and Truman University, it doesn’t apply to individual residences. But the ordinance requires remodeled or new public property development to comply with those principles, so it will become a cumulative effect. “We wanted to get ahead of light pollution the best we could,” Smith says.

The ordinance—the first of its kind for a city in Missouri—is making an impact and has been embraced by the community, Smith says. Given local interest in the outdoors and natural resources, it aligns with community goals and values. Springfield is also making changes to lighting policies as part of its long-range plan. Based on public feedback, protecting the night sky was included with Forward SGF, the city’s comprehensive plan and blueprint for its future goals.

Steps have already begun, according to Justin Crighton, assistant director of Planning & Development. “The updated Land Development Code incorporates the dark sky principles into the Landscape and Site Design Article, with the goal being to reduce light pollution overall,” he shares. The code, effective in early 2026, incorporates corrected color lighting with height restrictions and shielding requirements that limit light spillage as projects are developed going forward.

These progressive efforts bode well for stargazers and people who care about the Ozarks outdoors.

Night Sky Outings

Auld says she has been drawn to night skies since youth after watching Perseid meteors with her grandmother. “The connection we have with the outdoors really is beneficial to your mental health,” she says. And stargazing is a way to get outdoors without needing a bike, hiking boots or much knowledge. “Just go outside to a night sky, throw a blanket on the ground and lay there, staring at the stars,” she says.

Fortunately, the Ozarks includes many dark, wilderness areas in Missouri and Arkansas. To find dark skies within a reasonable drive, use a color-coded light pollution map online or in an app like Dark Sky Map. Pinks, reds and yellows indicate the most light pollution; greens, light blue and dark blue areas offer better dark sky viewing. Generally speaking, federal parkland, state parks in dark areas, campgrounds, national forests and public outdoor spaces that allow all-night occupancy—like a boat launch—are good places to try. 

Before heading out, Auld recommends having warm clothes, a chair that leans back or a blanket, and water and snacks. Also bring binoculars for an easy closer look.

If you want to identify stars, planets, constellations and asterisms (star patterns), download a current star chart or use a night sky app. Stellarium is one recommended resource. Auld likes the Sky View Lite app.

Plan your outing on a night near the new moon or when the moon sets early or rises late. Or plan around a special event, like a meteor shower which occurs about every month until the end of the year. The most popular is the Perseids, which is active between mid-July and end of August. This year, the Perseids peak August 12-13 when it will be harder to see because of the waning gibbous moon, about two-thirds full. October’s Orionids meteor shower may be better because it peaks October 22-23 during a new moon.

One unusual event in November will be Saturn’s “lost” rings. The angle of Saturn’s rings will be at an edge-on view, making them seem to disappear. This phenomenon won’t return again until 2032.

ANSA board member Jeffrey Hoeper is excited to see the close conjunction of Venus with Jupiter and Saturn with the moon on August 12. He also hopes a rare aurora borealis viewing will return to the Ozarks. With the sun just past its solar maximum, it’s possible Missouri and Arkansas could see more coronal mass ejections, which have produced auroras in the Ozarks, he says.

Using a Telescope

In addition to naked-eye stargazing, consider using a telescope, says Dale Flippo, vice president and 25-year member of the Springfield Astronomical Society. “You can do lunar observing, solar observing, or you can do what we call deep sky objects, which is clusters, galaxies and other things.”

The SAS, which meets monthly at the Library Center, conducts outreach programs in partnership with local organizations where volunteers bring telescopes and educational expertise to share with the public. 

In conjunction with the Astronomical League, SAS also facilitates a telescope check-out program through libraries in Springfield-Greene, Christian and Stone counties. The kits come with information on how to use the telescope and objects to look for, Flippo says. In Springfield, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be used for up to three weeks. Libraries in Arkansas have a similar program. 

The Astronomical League is a good resource for budding astronomers, Flippo adds, because it shares nationally recognized observing programs to explore using telescopes. For instance, follow the Messier Observing Program to find objects cataloged by Charles Messier beginning in 1771. An easy observing program for beginners, Flippo says, is to look for double stars.

Also watch for events where telescopes—and local expertise—are available. Several occur around Springfield in coordination with SAS, including an annual Star Party at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield in October. If you plan a weekend getaway, look for star parties at several Missouri and Arkansas state parks, too.

Missouri State University’s Baker Observatory in Fair Grove usually plans three viewing events in the fall and spring semesters.

Astrotourism in the Ozarks

Nighttime satellite images of the United States reveal plenty of dark space in the west while the eastern half is lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s easy to see why Western states attract night sky viewing and photography.

And the Midwest? It’s a mixed bag, with bright pockets of light pollution surrounded by remote areas with truly dark skies. That makes the Ozarks ripe for astrotourism, a budding national trend where travelers plan trips around their desire to stargaze in areas without light pollution. It’s already happening in the Ozarks, say local astronomers and dark sky advocates, thanks in part to the Buffalo National River achieving Dark Sky Place status in 2019.

“The park is an icon,” says ANSA’s McMath. “It’s the crown jewel of Arkansas’ natural heritage resources,” he says. “That it got designated was a big eye-opener for people.” Now, McMath says, state parks, including Mt. Magazine, are adopting lightscape management, perhaps eventually leading to Dark Sky Place status, too.

On the Missouri side, there are plenty of truly dark locations for stargazing around the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, says Dena Matteson, Chief of Interpretation, Planning and Partnerships with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. “We’re fortunate to have a lot of land around us that isn’t in development, and probably won’t ever be, hopefully,” she says. “So we can at least hold this little oasis down here for the future.”

Ozark National Scenic Riverways works with DarkSky Missouri to host its festival, and Matteson says there’s strong interest in the federal park to apply for Dark Sky Place status like the Buffalo did. But it will take a while to get there, she says: “We’re still working through some of the process.”

Still, Missouri is making progress. A collaborative effort between DarkSky Missouri, Missouri State Parks, the city of Kirksville and Truman University paid off when Thousand Hills State Park earned its Urban Night Sky Place designation in late 2024. Ideally, as communities grow and expand, they will make smart decisions to reduce light pollution and protect the Ozarks’ dark skies. Otherwise, those skies and their stars will diminish, Matteson says: “And you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

Date Night Stargazing

What’s more romantic than counting stars in a clear, dark sky? Book a remote cabin with a big view or a comfortable room in a cozy lodge where you can do that in peace, just minutes from your bed. Late summer into fall is the perfect time to look for the Milky Way without staying up too late. For the best star-gazing experience, book your getaway near a new moon night. Here are four places to try.

Ponca, Arkansas
Distance: 2 hours south of Springfield
Stay here: Buffalo Outdoor Center’s overlook cabins are good options for night sky viewing in the Buffalo National River area, which is a designated Dark Sky Park. Try Cabin X with a hot tub for a private, romantic overnight; or the Big Sky Cabin for a group outing. Both cabins have incredible views of the night sky.
While you’re there: Hike the Lost Valley Trail; watch for Boxley Valley elk at dawn or dusk; splash in a Buffalo River swimming hole at Steele Creek Campground; dine at the famous Ozark Cafe in Jasper.

Dora, Missouri
Distance: 2 hours southeast of Springfield
Stay here: The 350-acre River of Life Farm on the North Fork of the White River has a dozen two-person cabins with whirlpool tubs – including tree-house styles – for a romantic weekend of outdoor adventure. Cabins for groups and lodge rooms are also available. During your stay, walk to the property’s dedicated night sky observing area for stargazing.
While you’re there: Float the North Fork; cast for wild rainbow trout; book a massage; hike on the property or nearby trails; dine on homestyle cooking at the Falls Restaurant.

Echo Bluff State Park, Missouri
Distance: 2 hours, 20 minutes east of Springfield
Stay here: The Betty Lea Lodge with a wide back deck and comfortable modern rooms makes a beautiful home base for a cozy getaway in one of Missouri’s darkest state parks. Going with a group? Book a cabin. At night, stroll down to Echo Bluff to stargaze or drive up to the “sky porch” – the Bluff Top Pavilion – for night sky viewing.
While you’re there: Hike the Painter Ridge Trail; cool off in Sinking Creek at the massive Echo Bluff; book a Current River float; dine at the lodge’s Creekside Grill; visit nearby Alley Spring and its iconic red mill; stop for ice cream at the Dairy Shack in Eminence; fish for trout at Montauk State Park.

Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas
Distance: 4 hours southwest of Springfield
Stay here: For a special extended weekend on Arkansas’ highest mountain, stay at the Lodge at Mount Magazine with breathtaking views of the Petit Jean River Valley. Book one of 60 lodge rooms or a cabin with one to three rooms. Mount Magazine is known for its broad vista views and dark night skies.
While you’re there: Hike the Signal Hill Trail to the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753 feet; ride the Huckleberry Mountain Trail; soak in views on the Cameron Bluff Overlook Drive; swim in the lodge’s indoor pool; dine at the Skycrest Restaurant.