Location: Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park

Type: Sunset Photo Opportunity and Perseid Meteor Shower Viewing

Date: Saturday, August 12, 2023

Contact: Sara Kay Carrell sarakay.carrell@ks.gov

Phone No: 620-872-2061

Time: 8:00 pm - 1:00 am

Other Information:

Update: Waitlist is activated!! Please email to be put on the wait list for the OFF TRAIL NIGHT SKY PHOTO EXCURSION

Two Events!!!!!  **  Saturday August 12th, 2023  **  Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park  **

*Gate will officially close at 2:00 AM!          No Camping allowed at Little Jerusalem!!

*$5 vehicle pass or annual vehicle pass is required! Permits can be purchased on site at the Self Pay station at the park entrance. Cash, check or debit/credit card self pay machine.

Now, On to the detailed Info!!!!

#1: Open Park Night!!! Gates at Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park will be open until 2:00am for ON TRAIL viewing of Milky Way and Perseid Meteors!

*You do not need to reserve a space for the Open Park Night for watching the night skies  from the parking lot and trails. Open Park Night is available to come and go as your time allows from dark thru 2am! Reservations are only required for the off trail photo event.

*During the Open Park Night, Access to parking lot area, trails, and overlooks for meteor and Milky Way viewing will be allowed. You may NOT be off trail without park staff present! No off trail access during the park night unless you are part of one of the photography events!!

*When you enter the parking lot, please be courteous of others enjoying the dark skies. Please remember to dim vehicle lights!

*It will be DARK! It is a moonless night during the Open Park Night!!!

*Sunset will be at 8:40pm. Full dark will be about 9:45pm. Milky Way core will begin to be visible about 10:21pm. 

*If you see a small group of lights off trail, it is the off trail group led by the park staff (or SHOULD be!!) . DO NOT take seeing these red lights off trail as an invite for YOU to go off trail without park staff!!

#2: Off Trail Photo Excursion: Sunset, Milky Way, and Perseid Meteor Shower, all in one!

*For the off trail photography excursion, please email to reserve a space!! Space is limited. Email sarakay.carrell@ks.gov Wait list is activated! Email to be on waitlist!!

**Please Note: Email is not checked on Wednesdays and Thursdays (my days off). 

For the Photo Excursion event, meet at The Ramada Overlook at 7:45pm (West side of the parking lot).  Sunset is at 8:40pm Space is limited! Please email to save a spot!  

 If we have clear skies, we should have a great opportunity for photos! It will be a moonless sky!! We can plan to be off trail photographing meteors, rocks, and other cool night time things from about 8:00pm till about 12:00am. Please bring red lights to navigate with. White lights will be allowed for light painting and focusing, and for when we are wrapping up and ready to head back to the trail/parking lot. Please warn group before you flash the bright lights! 

*Sunset will be at 8:40pm. Full dark will be about 9:45pm. Milky Way core will begin to be visible about 10:21pm. 

Sharing Info from a good friend, who is a good photographer:

A suggestion:  using the Intervalometer function in their camera or an add-on Intervalometer.  Set the interval between images low, like 1 second. Then combining some images in post-processing to get a resulting images with multiple meteor trails in it.

*Questions? Contact sarakay.carrell@ks.gov

Lets all hope for CLEAR SKIES and awesome weather for the evening!!!