Best dark-sky Hipcamps in the US
Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2025.
Amazing views
Hipcampers say this spot has amazing views.
Family-friendly
Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.
Off-leash friendly
Pets can be off-leash at this Hipcamp.
Select a site
Filter by
RV/tent sites
1 site
Observatory at South Park!
100%
(68)Campfires allowed
Toilet
Pets allowed
from
for NaN guests$60
/ nightReviews
100% Recommend68 ratings · 51 reviews
Recommends
· September 2025
15 ft pop-up camper · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
We LOVED our time at this spot. John is an excellent host, and the property is SO beautiful and peaceful. Highly recommend! We'll be back!
R
Rachel P.
7 reviews
What a cool experience! I hadn’t been able to go star gazing in forever since moving to Denver. Not only does John have an incredible night sky above his land, he’s also incredibly knowledgeable and a bona fide celestial tour guide. Whether you’re coming with curious kiddos or enthusiastic adults, you’ll have a great time.
Parker B.
4 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2025
Experience of wonder and education
25 ft travel trailer · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
Absolutely loved this experience. Nice small group of people. Large open area with great views. The stargazing combined with the education of what we were seeing was fantastic. Will definitely be doing this again.
C
Christina T.
2 reviews
The experience was so much more than I expected! John is so knowledgeable about the sky! I learned so much when I was just expecting to look at stars.
P
Peggy K.
7 months on Hipcamp
I had an amazing time staying at this campsite! After the sun went down, we got to use a telescope and learn all about the stars and constellations. It was such a cool experience—peaceful, fun, and really eye-opening.
Camping here isn’t just about enjoying nature, it’s also about connecting with the night sky in a way you don’t usually get to. I left feeling relaxed, inspired, and already looking forward to coming back again.
B
Brad J.
4 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
The site was beautiful. We happened to go there when a storm was rolling through but John stayed up late to wait for the clouds to pass and showed us some really cool things with his telescope. He was very knowledgeable and it was a great experience.
B
Breanna A.
5 reviews
We really enjoyed our stay at the observatory. John is knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
No light pollution.Great place to learn about space, constelmachines galaxys and star lord's girlfriend. Inside joke.
Sara C.
2 reviews
Great site for our family camping trip! Views were incredible. Our dog loved the open space for running. A cow wandering by woke us up in the morning, which the kids got a kick out of. Would definitely come back again.
S
Sarah F.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2025
26 ft travel trailer · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
Had such an awesome time with John out on his property. Everything was perfect from a great place for my dog to run to John walking us through the constellations at night. I’ll be back again!
J
John H.
5 reviews
What a wonderful stay! The scenery is breathtaking, and it's close to a few state parks. At night the sky is OUTSTANDING. John is an absolute treasure and a wealth of knowledge. You can really tell that he is doing what he loves. I cannot say enough good things, and I will definitely be coming back.
N
Nicholas G.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
Tent · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
We had an incredible time at John’s camp. He was not only incredible hospitable and friendly, but his knowledge on astronomy was impressive. We came specifically to see the Perseid Meteor shower and even with a bright moon, we got to see them! The kids were so excited and our time there was absolutely magic. I want to come back when there’s a new moon :)
K
Kellan G.
1 year on Hipcamp
Awesome landscape; dog was ecstatic to be off leash - we were mostly solo. Clouds rolled in but still had lovely visit with host and his “astronomical” knowledge (pun intended). So cool to see cows and be lulled to sleep by their lowing.
P
Patience S.
8 reviews
We had such a wonderful time at the Observatory at South Park in Black Canyon, CO! John was an outstanding host—warm, welcoming, and an absolute wealth of knowledge about the night sky. Even though the weather was a bit cloudy, we still thoroughly enjoyed our stay. John made the experience engaging and informative, and his passion for astronomy really shone through. The setting is peaceful and beautiful, making it the perfect spot to relax and take in the surroundings. We would absolutely recommend this unique experience to anyone visiting the area!
R
Rich And April S.
5 months on Hipcamp
John is a class act. He was communicative, gracious, hospitable, and patient as my 4- and 6-year old boys experienced their very first night of camping. The guided and knowledgeable astronomy made us feel like we had gotten the most out of the super dark, low light conditions. I think we’ll make a yearly tradition out of this!
D
David K.
6 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
The site was beautiful. Id aim for a week day to avoid the weekend warriors.
H
Hailey F.
12 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Perfect for Astronomy enthusiasts!
11 ft travel trailer · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
This is the perfect camp for those interested in astronomy and dark skies. Horizon to horizon view. Beautiful mountains in the distance. Friendly host. 10 out of 10.
W
Wesley C.
3 reviews
Amazing! John is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the skies! The view of the Milky Way is breathtaking. John shared his telescope and showed us star clusters and double stars, orange, red and blue stars, nebulas and so much more, explaining it all so everyone understood. It is a must for stargazers. We will certainly be back!
P
Penny T.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
John was very knowledgeable about the constellations and it was an especially unique experience to get to look at the moon through his telescope! The views from the camp ground were amazing and we had a lot of space for our group.
J
Julia W.
5 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
14 ft travel trailer ·
Observatory at South Park!
Camping on John's land with our little teardrop was a great experience. John was a great host and we enjoyed the fun astronomy lessons at night. We were also pleasantly surprised that we had such good cell service in such a remote area. We will definitely be back and we'd recommend others do, too!
D
Doug P.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
14 ft travel trailer · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
The space was beautiful. John was wonderful host and made a fire when we arrived and then set up the telescope and showed us the constellation's. Kids loved it.
K
Kenda H.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent ·
Observatory at South Park!
John was an amazing host! We had a great night under the stars. Great company in a beautiful setting. Way more of a great experience than I was expecting. We will be back next summer!!
D
Drew K.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
Great host with easy directions to the site. Kids enjoyed the first camping experience and all the instruction that John was able to provide about the night sky. Will be back!
J
J. Michael O.
1 year on Hipcamp
My family & I loved camping at John’s spot! He was very accommodating to us and generous. We could see the entire sky, and looked at stars & planets through his telescope, and he was incredibly knowledgeable about stars and space! The camping spot was perfect for our rooftop tent, as we were pretty close to the other campers. The facility onsite was very clean and well maintained. We will definitely be booking again for meteor showers and solar events!
R
Remy M.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent · Group trip ·
Observatory at South Park!
Wide open land to camp on. Beautiful view of the mountains. Port o potty available to use. John was a great host and taught us so much about astronomy while there!
E
Elly R.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent · With pets ·
Observatory at South Park!
Camping on John’s land was wonderful, with great views of the valley and better views of the stars at night. He was patient and shared what he knew about constellations every night. The tent sites are fairly close together, but we had absolutely no issues with anybody during our time there.
T
Taylor C.
1 year on Hipcamp
My friends and I tent camped at John’s property and WOW! Not only is John incredibly knowledgeable about astronomy but he truly cares about his guests. John made us feel welcome and included every night. And in one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, John chased down our canopy tent TWICE to help us stake it down better in the wind. (Thank you again!)
Both nights we stayed were close to New Moon nights, so the opportunity to see stars and the Milky Way was the best it could be! Everyone gathered at the fire pit every night to chat before our “lesson” with John. We saw star clusters, Saturn and some of its moons, nebulas and more. Our last night we even got to hear some coyotes howling :)
Don’t skip this opportunity! John is fantastic host and this was our best camping experience!
C
Cass R.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2024
Absolutely amazing!
10 ft travel trailer · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
If you love astronomy or science in general, you need to stay with John. He made this such a wonderful experience. The land is beautiful, wide open and surrounded by mountains. The night sky is spectacular there. We were there for the Perseid meteor shower- what an incredible place to see it.
John is incredibly knowledgeable about astronomy and paleontology, among other things, and is passionate about sharing his knowledge. Looking at the sky with his telescope was amazing. John also has a communal fire pit where everyone can gather while he teaches you all about the night sky.
We cannot recommend camping with John enough! We stayed with our 12 and 9-year-old kids, who loved the experience. They loved riding their bikes all over the property and making s'mores at John's fire. John works in schools doing science programs when he's not camping on his property, so he was wonderful with our kids. We can't wait to go back!
(My kids want me to add that they give it 6 out of 5 stars ☺️)
B
Brea C.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent · With kids ·
Observatory at South Park!
This was our kids first time camping besides our backyard and it was fantastic! May have set the bar for camping too high. John was an amazing host and so knowledgeable about the stars. We were able to see Saturn’s rings, star clusters, shooting stars and more and the kids had a blast. We definitely want to come back with other friends and family. Thanks so much for a great stay John!
D
David M.
2 years on Hipcamp
John has a great property to get away from it all and unwind. He is a great host as we got to explore various stars through his telescope at night!
M
Michael L.
2 reviews
I highly recommend camping at John’s Observatory. This place is a hidden gem. We camped one night and had the most amazing experience learning about our night sky via John’s extensive knowledge of our cosmos. He allowed us all to view the galaxies, stars, planets, with his telescope, we also saw so many shooting stars! We camped in a tent, and is also like to add the the porta-potty was very clean. I look forward to camping here again and sharing this special experience with friends.
R
Rosa B.
2 years on Hipcamp
Location
Fairplay, Park, Colorado, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by John M.
Joined in March 2023Response rate: 80%Response time: Within 9 hours
Things to do nearby
Similar campgrounds nearby
Popular searches in Colorado
- Fairplay
Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.