Can you visit Cypress Hills Observatory? Yes
Park interpretive astronomy programs with 14-inch and 12-inch telescopes; annual Cypress Hills star party.
A public night at an observatory usually starts at dusk with a short talk, then a line at the eyepiece of the main telescope for the Moon, a planet or a bright cluster, with volunteers' smaller telescopes set up outside. Dress for the night air even in summer: domes are not heated, so the telescope stays at outside temperature. Many nights sell out or cancel for clouds, so check the observatory's site on the day.
Telescopes at Cypress Hills Observatory
14" Celestron.
How dark the sky is at Cypress Hills Observatory
Cypress Hills Observatory has no Bortle rating in the list yet. The scale below shows what each class looks like.
Sky brightness and class come from the World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness (Falchi et al. 2016, CC BY-NC 4.0), with natural skyglow added, at the coordinates below. Research telescopes are often sited on mountains above the haze, so the real sky can be darker than the map suggests.
Cypress Hills Observatory among the observatories of Canada
Green dots are observatories open to the public, blue dots research or private sites, squares dark sky places; select one for its page. See Observatories in Canada for the full list.
The coordinates on this page point to town center of Maple Creek (approximate): 49.917°N, 109.485°W.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open the larger map · Directions. Mountain observatory roads are often gated after dark; go only on a scheduled public night.
Dark sky places, observatories and clubs near Cypress Hills Observatory
Nearest dark sky places
| Place | Where | Bortle | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Walsh National Historic Site | Maple Creek, Canada | 1 | 47 km (29 mi) |
| Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park | Elkwater, Canada | 3 | 64 km (40 mi) |
| Old Man on His Back Prairie and Heritage Conservation Area | Eastend, Canada | 1 | 77 km (48 mi) |
| Grasslands National Park | Val Marie, Canada | 1 | 166 km (103 mi) |
| Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument | Montana | 1 | 240 km (149 mi) |
| Buffalo Camp | Montana | 1 | 270 km (168 mi) |
Other observatories open to the public within 150 km
- Wilkinson Memorial ObservatoryEastend, Saskatchewan, Canada, 65 km (41 mi). Guided night sky tours and telescope demonstrations
- Sunridge ObservatorySeven Persons, Alberta, Canada, 102 km (63 mi). Occasional public open houses (one held October 2025)
Astronomy clubs within 150 km
- Medicine Hat Astronomy ClubMedicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, 86 km (53 mi)
Star parties near Cypress Hills Observatory
| Star party | Near | Distance | Usual timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saskatchewan Summer Star Party | Maple Creek, Saskatchewan | 31 km (19 mi) | August new moon |
| Alberta Star Party | Drumheller, Alberta | 285 km (177 mi) | Late summer new moon |
| Alberta StarBQ | Caroline, Alberta | 440 km (273 mi) | Summer |
| Northern Prairie Star Party | Tofield, Alberta | 442 km (275 mi) | Late summer new moon |
Cypress Hills Observatory record
Every value in the observatories dataset for Cypress Hills Observatory
| ID | 68 |
|---|---|
| Name | Cypress Hills Observatory |
| Address | Centre Block, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (next to Dark Sky campground) |
| City | Maple Creek |
| State | Saskatchewan |
| Country | Canada |
| Continent | North America |
| Web | https://www.tourismsaskatchewan.com/listings/3034/cypress-hills-interprovincial-park-dark-sky-preserve |
| Public | y |
| Telescope | 14" Celestron |
| Lat | 49.91678 |
| Lon | -109.4848 |
| LatLonSpot | town center of Maple Creek (approximate) |
| Status | Active |
| StatusNote | Park observatory opened 2011 with Friends of Cypress Hills; in RASC Dark-Sky Preserve |
| PublicNote | Park interpretive astronomy programs with 14-inch and 12-inch telescopes; annual Cypress Hills star party |
| Sources | https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/news-and-media/2011/august/24/new-observatory-opens-in-cypress-hills-interprovincial-park |
From the site's observatories dataset (observatoriesglobal_q426). Distances are computed from the coordinates.