Frequently asked
Is tonight good for stargazing at Racetrack Playa?
The live score above pulls today's forecast and runs it through StarCast's scoring model, factoring in cloud cover, moon illumination, Bortle class, humidity, and atmospheric transparency. Above 70 is an excellent night for astrophotography. Below 40, conditions are poor. The score updates daily.
What makes Racetrack Playa good for astrophotography?
Racetrack Playa sits deep inside the backcountry of Death Valley National Park, a Gold Tier International Dark Sky Park, and is best known for its sailing stones, rocks that mysteriously drift across the cracked lakebed and leave long trails behind them. The playa is perfectly flat and almost entirely treeless, giving photographers a rare unbroken 360-degree horizon with nothing to block a full view of the sky. Skies here reach Bortle Class 1, among the darkest measured anywhere, thanks to the site's extreme remoteness.
When is the Milky Way visible at Racetrack Playa?
The core is visible from late February through October. Spring and fall are the most manageable seasons for the roughly 27 mile washboard dirt road in, which requires a high clearance vehicle and is notorious for flat tires. Summer temperatures here are among the most extreme in North America, so plan carefully and never attempt the drive without extra water, fuel, and a spare tire regardless of season.
