Cherry Springs stargazing is out of this world

by Karansher Sidhu

Who doesn’t love the stars? Whether it be navigation, mythology, or appreciation and contemplation of the cosmos, stargazing is a pinnacle of the human experience. Unfortunately, many of us go throughout life without experiencing a clear night sky.

Our Lehigh community is one of those who miss out on this experience. Valleys unfortunately trap air pollution, blocking night skies from view. In a 2021 article in Lehigh University’s newspaper, Professor Ben Felzer stated that Lehigh is Pennsylvania’s fourth most polluted county.

When you step outside on what you might think is the clearest night of the year, you are seeing just a glimpse of the cosmos. This doesn’t need to be the case. Cherry Springs State Park provides a breathtaking stargazing experience.

Cherry Springs State Park.

In the summer of 2020, Nathaniel Lycette, an experienced camper and Eagle Scout, had the opportunity to venture to Cherry Springs State Park. He described it as one of the coolest places he’s ever been to.

“[Cherry Springs] was unforgettable,” Lycette said. “I’ve never seen such a good ‘dark sky park’ that is nationally ranked in our state.”

As Lycette said, Cherry Springs is not only nationally recognized, but it is the second internationally recognized dark sky park ever. In fact, it ranks level two on the Bortle Scale, which is very impressive seeing as a level one signifies optimal star brightness. So Cherry Springs attracts visitors from stargazing communities all over the world.

There’s a stigma that Pennsylvania is uneventful and boring, but PA has one of the world’s greatest stargazing spots: Cherry Springs State Park. Located in the middle of the state and bordering New York, it is often overshadowed by Williamsport and Lake Erie. Despite its hidden nature, those who know about it love it.

Looking into our own Southern Lehigh community, you may be surprised to see that even adventurous teachers such as Mr. Joseph Castagna have yet to hear about it. Mr. Castagna has always loved destination-based camping in places such as Wyoming and Montana. Despite his many road trips across the country, Cherry Springs has remained hidden from him.

“I’ve never heard about it, but it sounds like an interesting place,” Mr. Castagna said. Perhaps the most difficult part of making something popular is forming a group of people that enjoy it, and, so far, only one other SLHS student that I know of has visited

“I would love to go back, and I encourage everyone to take a trip out this summer,” Lycette said.

Once you make the journey to Cherry Springs, you can spend your day camping, eating, hiking, or doing whatever pleases you in the region. In order to preserve the integrity of the night sky, you aren’t allowed white light flashlights or campfires. But when it comes down to it, you’ll be too amazed to care.

A park ranger, when asked where the ideal spot is, responded with a joking, but true statement: “The sky is the sky, bro.”