Exmoor Dark Skies
Exmoor National Park has some of the darkest skies in the UK so it’s a great place for stargazing – whatever the season!
Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve is rightly proud of being the first dark sky reserve in Europe. We have minimal light pollution and on a cloudless night you can see the milky way, thousands of stars and astronomical sights with the naked eye.
The popular Exmoor Dark Skies Festival usually takes in late October and early November each year . With a variety of festival events for families and adults taking place all over Exmoor, why not book yourself some accommodation and make a holiday of it?
For more information about the Exmoor Dark Skies Festival keep an eye on the Exmoor National Park Dark Skies pages. Also, check out the Visit Exmoor Events Calendar for event listings throughout the festival.
Some particularly good spots for family stargazing are:
- Holdstone Hill
- County Gate / Porlock Common
- Brendon Two Gates / Brendon Common
- Larkbarrow
- Webbers Post
- Dunkery Beacon
- Anstey Gate / Molland Common
- Haddon Hill
- Wimbleball Lake
Telescopes can also be hired all year round from the National Park Centres at Dunster, Dulverton and Lynmouth.
Exmoor also hosts a mostly flat 2-mile Dark Sky Discovery Trail walk which is ideal for all the family and will take you on a mini adventure onto open moorland with 360° views of the starry skies above – even an overcast evening can bring an exhilarating experience surrounded by the sounds of Exmoor at night. The start and finish point is a lay-by near Larkbarrow Corner. Find out more at: www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/exmoor-for-everyone/walking/darksky.
Photo by Laurence Liddy @LaurenceLiddy – winner in Exmoor At Night Photo Competition 2020.
