MnAstro Forums

Hi

I have a 2 part question. Maybe this is commentary on light pollution, but for the life of me I can not remember ever seeing the Milky Way having grown up in the cities all my life. I know a lot of the pictures we see posted around the internet are longer exposures, but how far west does one need to drive from the Twin Cities, and what is realistic expectation?

Second part, does anyone have any recommendations for a place to stay for a day or so out westward from the Twin Cities? Ideally it would be great to find a remote cabin that had electrical access for mount & laptop. Where I live there is little to no opportunity to do anything, so my choice will be pretty much Eagle Lake or a getaway weekend. Problem is no history of camping, no idea on where to go. So any recommendations would be helpful.

You can camp at Baylor Park where ELO is. As a MAS member, you can setup gear on the plaza all night if you like. We can normally see the Milky Way fine from ELO. If you want a hotel, I know folks have stayed in one in Glencoe which is a short drive west of Norwood.
Another option is to go north to the area around LLCC which is much darker and I am told excellent viewing of the Milky Way as well as everything else.

Another place to consider is Cherry Grove. There is electricity available on the field and you can sleep on the bench in the warming house until morning if you bring a pad and a sleeping bag or a blanket. The Milky Way is very obvious from there.

I don’t know just how far out of town one has to go these days to see the Milky Way, but I do remember seeing it from Apple Valley around 15 years ago when my brother lived down there. I’d guess you’d have to go another 10 miles out by now. I’d still expect you can see it if you drive 45 minutes out of town in any direction (from downtown) as long as you don’t head toward another town and you get away from anything like a car dealer or shopping area.

If you're looking to not tent camp or sleep in the CGO warming house, I've seen several places on the north shore around Two Harbors that offer cabins on or near Lake Superior.

The sky up there is plenty dark enough to see the Milky Way. I haven't booked one of these places yet... but it's on my list.

Suresh

St. Croix State Park, east of Hinkley, is a good dark location. It's in a sweet little pocket of dark sky. They have cabins available which may be a good option for you. It's not west of the metro but is a good location.
https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks ... 3#homepage

I'm in farmington and can easily see it on a clear night. Not nearly as prominent as Cherry grove though, which is another hour up the road. Take a camping trip up to the boundary waters if you really want a show, or even a weekend trip to Grand Marais.

Thanks to everyone for the replies, this is some awesome info here. Now only one thing left, can anyone do anything about these clouds . St. Croix State Park looks perfect for what I was thinking about.