When we went up to Harmony Hollow for the first time at night we kept waiting for it to get dark. We’d assumed that up in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a preserve, that it would be pitch black. Unfortunately we underestimated the light pollution from Phoenix and other surrounding cities.
Cave Creek has ordinances about outdoor lighting and we do the best we can, however the bigger cities seem to be far beyond reigning that in now.
There is also a non-profit, Cave Creek Dark Sky, that is working to bring awareness to issue of light pollution. They put on a star gazing party a couple times a year up in the parking lot of the Spur Cross Recreation Area (across from Harmony Hollow).
Everyone brings their own chairs, and a blanket if they’re smart, because the Arizona nights can be chilly. Astronomy expert and NASA Ambassador, Mark Johnston, projects images on to large screens from his deep space telescope and takes viewers on a walk through starts. The images are truly amazing.
