Goldendale Observatory State Park
Observatory · Goldendale, Washington
A five-acre state park on a 2,100-foot hill above Goldendale, built in 1973 around a 24.5-inch reflecting telescope that a group of amateur astronomers ground themselves and donated to the town. It remains one of the largest telescopes in the United States regularly available to the public, and the site was rebuilt and reopened at the end of the 2010s with a new dome and interpretive centre. The Columbia Basin sky here is genuinely dark, and the observatory holds International Dark Sky Park designation.
1602 Observatory Drive, Goldendale, Washington, 98620, United States
EVENING PROGRAMMES ARE THE POINT AND THEY ARE SEASONAL AND SCHEDULED - the observatory does not simply stay open after dark for anyone who turns up. Daytime solar viewing and interpretive hours run on a published timetable, generally Wednesday to Sunday in the warmer months with reduced days in winter. CHECK THE SCHEDULE AND BOOK BEFORE DRIVING OUT; this is a long way from anywhere and evening sessions fill. A Discover Pass is required to park.
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