Gazing up at the stars can lead any person to question the wonders of the universe, and in the Yorkshire Dales, you get some of the clearest skies in the whole of the UK. And, their skies will remain that way after they’ve been designated an International Dark Sky Reserve, joining an exclusive global family of Dark Sky Places.
The Yorkshire National Park is home to some of the darkest skies in the world. It is possible to see thousands of stars, the Milky Way, meteors and even the Northern Lights. The area is vast becoming a popular spot for stargazers, and with good reason.
This year, they celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Dark Skies Festival, which started on February 14th and continues until March 2nd, 2025. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the night sky while learning more about the universe we live in.
This year’s night sky festival sees a free Plante Trail on display along the Dales Way at Buckden until the 2nd March and a Planet and Constellation Trail in the woodland at Aysgarth Falls. The self guided trails offer a unique experience where you can walk among models of the planets, learn some interesting facts and test your knowledge with a dark skies quiz.
Other events and activities include talks from experts, night-time fell running, photography and canoeing in the dark. As well as rocket making, nocturnal wildlife talks and other fun family-friendly events.
The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors are just two of 16 areas that are designated dark skies reserves. Visit the website here to check out what’s going on this Dark Skies festival 2025.
