Camp Verde

Camp Verde is a town in the Verde Valley of Yavapai County, central Arizona, with a population of 12,147 at the 2020 census. On June 8, 2018 it was certified an International Dark Sky Community, becoming the fifth in Arizona and the 20th designated worldwide.

Why Camp Verde is a top stargazing spot

Camp Verde's dark skies are protected by an outdoor lighting ordinance that has been in place since 2004, well before its official certification, requiring well-shielded, downward-pointing fixtures with low lumen levels and warm color temperatures. The town's push for certification was inspired by the dark-sky initiatives of nearby Flagstaff and Sedona, and community engagement toward certification began in 2014.

What you can see

With light pollution kept in check across the town, Camp Verde offers clearer views of the night sky than typical Arizona towns of its size, in a region already known for some of the state's best stargazing conditions.

Visiting Camp Verde at night

Camp Verde marked its dark-sky certification with its first Dark Sky Festival in October 2018, and the event has grown into an annual community celebration. Recent editions have paired an Arizona Science Center planetarium and family activities with a presentation from a Lowell Observatory director, public telescope stargazing run by local astronomy volunteers, a dark sky arts exhibit, presentations from the Camp Verde High School Astronomy Club, a night sky photography workshop, binocular stargazing sessions, film screenings, astrobiology talks and live music. The exact dates and lineup shift from year to year, so it's worth checking with the town or Astronomers of Verde Valley for the current schedule before planning a trip. Outside festival dates, the town continues to enforce its dark sky lighting laws to keep skies clear, and as with any dark-sky destination, the best views come around the new Moon, with a red light to protect your night vision once you're out.

Best time to go

Central Arizona's Milky Way core season runs roughly March through September, when the galaxy's bright band climbs into the southern sky after dark. October is a particularly good month to combine stargazing with a visit, since the Dark Sky Festival typically falls then. The Perseid meteor shower peaks in August, the Geminids in December, and the Quadrantids in early January bring a reliable start to the year. Whatever the season, a new Moon night gives the darkest sky, and twenty to thirty minutes of dark adaptation makes a real difference before you start looking up.

Getting there

Camp Verde sits in the Verde Valley of Yavapai County, in central Arizona between Flagstaff and Phoenix, close to fellow dark-sky towns Sedona and Flagstaff. Check the town's website or Visit Camp Verde for current event details and directions before an evening visit.

See your named star from here

A town that has protected its night sky since 2004 is a good base for finding a star named in someone's honour. Bring your certificate's coordinates and a stargazing app, look your star up in the catalogue, and check our observatories list for other dark-sky spots in the region.