Goldendale State Park for the Stars

Goldendale Observatory is the most fun!  It's been open since 1973.  It is one of the nation's largest public telescopes.  It was the dream of 4 men who constructed a 24.5 inch reflecting Cassegrain telescope at Clark College in Vancouver in 1964.  They eventually donated it to the city of Goldendale.  Thousands of visitors came in 1997 to view the comet Hale-Bopp and also again for an unusually close view of Mars in 2003.  Our visit in August was not so crowded, and was so enjoyable.  I highly recommend a visit.  And in spring of 2014 the re-design and modernization will be done, as an added treat for visitors.  Guided tours are highly personalized.

Here's the giant telescope.  It has multiple lenses, and you step up on the ladder to view.  That night we were so fortunate in August to see Venus, the moon, Saturn with its rings, Neptune and its moons, and Uranus.  All was amazing, and we could see it all so clearly.

Troy, the Astronomer and Ranger is the very knowledgeable and personable guide at Goldendale.  He is so good at translating this science for amateur fans, but can also speak in depth.  Among our group of friends who visited Goldendale together, one has a degree in Astronomy and she was very impressed with Troy.  We were all inspired by Troy and all we saw at Goldendale.  I recommend a great companion book called Skywatching by David H. Levy.



In addition to seeing Venus through the telescope, at dusk we were able to see Venus in the sky without the scope.

Here's the beautiful view from the hill of Goldendale Observatory



While in Goldendale, visit the area around the Columbia river, just a few miles down the road.  And don't forget the Maryhill winery which also books some incredible entertainment for concerts.  What a venue!

Goldendale has this extra bonus telescope too.  Be sure to get there during daylight hours too, so you can view the sun through the specially designed sun telescope. 

Add to your celestial visit with a stop at the Stonehenge replica that is down the road, near the winery.  It is a fully astronomically aligned replica.  It was built by businessman Samuel Hill as a WWI memorial to the local youth who sacrificed their lives in the war.  Their names are each inscribed on the stones.

And here is the breathtaking view from the Stonehenge replica, on the Columbia River.