Utah Dark Sky Stargazing Trips & Vacations

When was the last time you looked up and considered your place in the universe?

In recent years, an increasing number of the guests on our trips look up at the Milky Way on moonless nights and candidly admit that they’ve never seen anything so beautiful in their lives. This has not always been the norm for humanity; only in recent centuries have we cast our eyes elsewhere and forgotten the stars.

Much of the Earth is losing its dark skies to light pollution; most Americans will live their whole lives without seeing the Milky Way, but out here on the Colorado Plateau, the night sky is alive and well, and waiting for you to rediscover it. Come and experience it on our stargazing trips.

2027 Line-up

May 26 – 30,  5-day Yampa River

June 29 – July 2,  4-day Lodore Canyon

Aug 1 – 6,  6-day Cataract Canyon

Aug 30 – Sept 4,  6-day Desolation Canyon

Sept 27 – Oct 1,  5-day Labyrinth Canyon

Stargazing through ruins on river trip PP Bettymaya
Yampa River Mathers Camp Stargazing Night Sky

5 Day Yampa River Stargazing

Starting Price: $1595
Minimum Age: 8
Meeting Location: Vernal, UT

  • May 26 – 30, 2027
  • Fun and exciting class III-IV whitewater rapids
  • Travel through the heart of Dinosaur National Monument. A gold tier dark sky park.
  • Exhilarating whitewater rafting by day and stunning dark sky stargazing at night.
  • Excellent side canyon hiking and exploring to waterfalls, overlooks, caves and rock art.
  • From the Deer Lodge Park put-in to the Split Mountain take-out, this is a trip that checks all the boxes!

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stargazing in southern utah

6 Day Cataract Canyon Stargazing Trip

Starting Price: $1840
Minimum Age: 16
Meeting Location: Green River, UT

  • August 1-6, 2027
  • Many miles of calm water leading to class III-V whitewater, ideal for intermediate and advanced participants
  • Our “star guide,” Tom Beckett, will guide you through his knowledge of constellations and the stories and myths behind them
  • Spend time paddling on an inflatable kayak or stand-up paddle board, enjoy hikes to petrified wood and overlooks
  • Swim between the Green and Colorado Rivers at the Confluence

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Stargazing Trips

5 Day Desolation Canyon Stargazing Trip

Starting Price: $1,710
Minimum Age: 8
Meeting Location: Green River, UT

  • July 6-10, 2026
  • A good blend of flat water and mellow class I-II+ whitewater rapids
  • One of the most remote areas of the state is a perfect place to gaze at the stars and learn from our astronomer
  • Iconic stretch of the Green River full of history, from John W. Powell to Butch Cassidy
  • Hike to archaeological sites, explore countless side canyons, and old homesteads
  • Skip the van ride and take a scenic flight over the canyon to arrive at the put-in

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lodore stargazing on the river

4 Day Lodore Canyon Stargazing Trip

Starting Price: $1,575
Minimum Age: 8
Meeting Location: Vernal, UT

  • SOLD OUT
  • August 6-9 , 2026
  • Fun, playful class II-IV whitewater rapids throughout the trip
  • This year, bluegrass outfit the Pickpockets will be joining us to elevate an already amazing trip
  • Stare into the Milky Way and listen to the stories behind our stars in Dinosaur National Monument, an International Dark Sky Park
  • Experience some of the most visually stunning canyon gorges with remarkably sheer cliffs and dramatic fault lines

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Desolation Canyon Stargazing Camp Milky Way

5 Day Labyrinth Canyon Hiking and Stargazing Trip

Starting Price: $1,395
Minimum Age: 12
Meeting Location: Green River, UT

  • September 7-11, 2026
  • Without a whitewater rapid, Labyrinth Canyon makes for a beautifully peaceful float trip
  • Wander up side canyons, hike to rock art and old homesteads, and paddle a kayak or stand-up paddle board
  • Explore the Milky Way, gaze at the Andromeda Galaxy, watch satellites and meteors, and learn constellations.
  • Enjoy rejuvenating beach front camping each day

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B&W stars

4 Day White Rim Trail Stargazing

Starting Price: $1,260
Minimum Age: 12
Meeting Location: Green River, UT

  • Oct 10-13, 2026
  • Enjoy fun rolling terrain with a little bit of spicy technical riding on this intermediate trail.
  • Spend the days pedaling to your heart’s content through some of the best white sandstone in Canyonlands National Park, a Gold-Tier Dark Sky Park.
  • Wide open skies as far as the eyes can see.
  • Enjoy guided stargazing programming for our Star Guide extraordinaire Tom Beckett.

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What is a Dark Sky? 

This map from 2015 shows light pollution across the U.S. (with Utah outlined in red). As you can see, light pollution (the phenomenon of artificial lights from cities and towns spilling into the sky and washing out stars, planets, and the Milky Way), impacts the vast majority of our country.

The International Dark Sky Association (IDA) created the designation of  “Dark Sky Park” in 2001 to recognize exceptionally dark places around the world. The rules are simple: the Milky Way must be visible to the naked eye, and access must exist for the general public to visit the area.

Utah contains 22 of these Dark Sky Parks. Many Holiday trips run under these exceptional skies, such as Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park. As far as we can tell, our other nearby routes through places like the Desolation Canyon Wilderness have equal quality stargazing, they simply lack official IDA recognition at this time.

Photo Credit: David Lorenz

US dark sky map with Utah outlined
Tom Stargazing vertical

Why Choose Holiday?

In 2016, the National Parks celebrated their 100 year anniversary, and the same year, Holiday celebrated our 50th. That season, both the National Parks and Holiday made gazing at our Dark Skies a priority.

Holiday guides were given extensive training, reference materials, and special laser pointers for pointing out constellations. We have offered multiple stargazing trips every year on each of our river and bike trips.

This effort was spear-headed by one of our longtime guides, Tom Beckett, who had been stoking our guide’s passion for stargazing for years.

After his full-time guiding career, while practicing law, Tom studied and learned all he could about our solar system, serving on the board of the Clark Planetarium along the way. When he would hop on a trip as a part-time guide, he would stay up late and teach any interested guide everything he could.

So when we decided to offer these stargazing trips, our choice for astronomer was obvious. Between his engaging storytelling, vast array of knowledge, and ability to teach big concepts in simple ways, Tom is an exceptional “star guide”.

Ready to book?

Booking with Holiday is easy! Give our office a call to chat with one of our team, or click the ‘Book This Trip’ button associated with your choice of any of the trips above!