Here’s a look at the night sky along one of the creeks northeast of Stanley. It doesn’t get any darker than camping in the Dark-Sky Reserve of Central Idaho.

Here’s a look at the night sky along one of the creeks northeast of Stanley. It doesn’t get any darker than camping in the Dark-Sky Reserve of Central Idaho.

Getting up and going outside the RV or tent in the middle of a chilly night in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains takes a little doing, especially if you don’t want to leave a warm sleeping bag.

Bundle up. It can be rewarding because the Stanley area is an International Dark-Sky Reserve covering 1,416-square miles where the stars and Milky Way jump out at you like Christmas lights.

The reserve from Sun Valley and Ketchum to Stanley is unique because there are only 11 others in the world. It takes in two wilderness areas and miles and miles of backpacking trails and campgrounds.

The best way to guarantee seeing the night sky is to avoid busy campgrounds where large RVs have outside night lights or those close to towns, ranches and farms that will have lights all night.

Check out less busy campgrounds or undeveloped camping areas, or better yet, go backpacking and totally leave the lights behind.

We camped in an undeveloped camping area on the edge of the Sawtooth Wilderness area away from Highway 21 and with no other campers around us. When the sun went down, it got so dark it was beautiful.

The stars popped out in such a brilliance. The Milky Way lit up the dark night. Shooting stars caught our eyes.

You can set the alarm for well after dark, crawl out of the sleeping bag, wrap up in a blanket, and sit in a camp chair watching the night sky. (Some of us don’t need an alarm. We just have the call of Nature in the middle of the night.)

We are so lucky that folks had the foresight to set aside the Central Idaho Dark-Sky Reserve and also the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which is celebrating 50 years.

Enjoy. Camping in Idaho’s Dark Sky Reserve is a unique experience with the brilliance of a night sky.

Pete has been writing about the outdoors in Idaho and the Northwest for decades. Give him a shout at mountaingoat@centurylink.net.

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