Top 5 Locations To Stargaze in Lake County
By: Jonathan Jones 05/06/2024
"There's a starman waiting in the sky. He'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds." Staring fondly into the eyes of a constellation is a wondrous sight and there are many different locations to stargaze in Lake County, but there are many elements to factor into your date with the night sky.
Cleardarksky.com has many tools to detect if it is a good night to stare at the sky. In summary, according to the website, to stargaze, individuals can search the astronomer's forecast. The observer must take into consideration the cloud cover, transparency, astronomical seeing, darkness (sans light pollution), wind speed, humidity, and temperature. Another measurement of seeing a myriad of sky twinkles is by checking your area's Bortle Scale. The Bortle scale is a nine-level scope that measures the night sky's brightness of a particular location. It quantifies the astronomical observability of celestial objects and the interference caused by light pollution. (Who would've thought looking at cool clusters of stars could be so complicated?).
Continue here to check the breakdown of The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale. Let's not forget that if you live anywhere close to these venues, you have a frontrow seat to the cosmic action. So what're you doing tonight, and how's the weather? If you're trying to "make a wish upon a star, it makes no difference who you are." Here are the top 5 locations to stargaze in Lake County (according to various sources).
One of the most optimal locations to stargaze in the Chicagoland area. The Zion site offers unobstructed views away from light pollution that the city expels. The best area in the state park to scan the sky is the campground, which is tucked away from the street lights and pitch black during nightfall.
Tucked away between Sullivan Lake and Bradenburg Roads, sits Volo Bog State Natural Area. The wetland is the Land of Lincoln's lone quaking bog. It's a wonderful view, but unfortunately, it closes 30 minutes prior to sunset. However, when Mr. Golden Sun heads westbound for the other side of the globe, the night sky is quite illuminated. Periodically, the Lake County Astronomy Society holds meetings at Volo Bog. However, you can find a place by the Illinois DNR zone or Sullivan Lake across the street or near Bradenburg Lake, the solar system puts on a show on clear nights as there is minimal light pollution in the area. 
Unfortunately, we cannot make an entire onion ring/Saturn ring experience since the address mentioned above is the remains of where Hackney's used to be a mainstay in the Lake Zurich area. The Illinois staple has since closed their doors, but according to CBS Chicago, the area where the pub stood is the place to be when the lights go down in the village. The establishment sat on 11 acres of land with a pond for the sky sparkle to reflect off of.
According to NPR, you can see a brilliant glow in the sky if you're on a boat in the middle of the great lake. That glow is the Milky Way. The Bortle Scale reads a 2-3, which enables viewers to see the complexity of the Milkway, globular clusters, zodiacal light and so much more. If you have a boat on Waukegan Harbor or North Point Harbor, float your way out away from the shore, and you'll see a show of a lifetime. Fort Sheridan sits along the great lake, as well as Highland Park's Rosewood Beach, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff's Sunrise Beach, Highwood, North Chicago, Waukegan's Muncipal Beach, Beach Park and Zion.
The Skokie Valley Astronomers is a club devoted to amateur astronomy. They meet on select months at Ryerson Woods. The Lake County Forest Preserve is a perfect area to sky search. No lights, panoramic vegetation and a divine aesthetic to the sky, "let the cosmic ballet go on."
Honorable Mention
By boat, by land or by night hike, Spring Grove state parks hosts impromptu stargazing sessions during moon and sans moon nights. You must make your way to this wonderful Illinois state park.
The lights are low and the preserves (with a little bit of grasshopper cicada theme music) will fill the air for a sparkly night sky viewing escapade. Locations like Lakewood in Wauconda, Independence Grove in Libertyville, Old School in Mettawa, Greenbelt in North Chicago, Raven Glen in Antioch and many others all offer a space to be "blinded by the light. No I can't sleep until I feel your touch."
For more information about outdoors and the stargaze lifestyle, click here.
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