Cherry springs state park Night Sky public viewing Area — Attraction in West Branch Township

I really hate to do this. I took me over 12 years to get here and all the hype online really had me hooked. First of all the online booking experience was totally inaccurate. I was forced to book a RV site because online said no tent sites were available and that only two RV sites were left. So I pulled my motorcycle into the rv spot and set up my tent even though there were tent sites available. Entering into the park was nothing spectacular. It was a typical state park honor system with my permit ready in a box. There was a half dozen heavy equipment vehicles, and a food trailer that would open later for a few hours. The road was gravel and had a unsightly orange net fence that guided me to a small camping area. The camping area sits yards away from the public parking area that turned out to be very annoying. The fire pit looked great but I never used it. The picnic table was solid and bug free. There were also a couple trees for me to hang my hammock. The camping area seemed to be well enough maintained.

The night I planned to sleep under the stars was constantly interrupted by vehicle headlights. Every minute or so there would be cars pulling in or leaving the parking area. There were also two campers that kept opening their car door and blasting head lights at my site. The noise level was surprisingly aggravating. Car doors, engines starting and headlights and I mean all night long. I decided to just go to bed at 2am because I was so mad.

The stars were beautiful but to be honest you see the same stars any time you want to drive 20 minutes into a forest and look up. . I've seen the same beauty in new Hampshire and Vermont but without the hype and crowds of people.

In the morning the construction vehicles start at 7:30am but you have until 3pm to check out so go ahead and enjoy that racket.

The bath rooms were privy style so bring your own wipes, TP, and hand sanitizer.

If I do give this place another shot it will be in the middle of winter to reduce crowds and sometime after the construction is completed. Let's face it there are other locations along Rt44 " The highway to the stars"

Unfortunately this was my experience. I added a extra star...

I really hate leaving bad reviews. It only takes one employee to ruin an experience , Don't get me wrong Cherry Springs gets "10" Stars. The badges with guns working for the state get "0" !!! You just can't pay your fee and get a quiet night's rest. I'll update my review after I look over my Dashcam video to see if the keystone cops did anything else stupid before my encounter with officers "Dudley Do Right" and "Penelope Pitstop". Hint one couldn't have passed basic grammar in elementary school! Sorry but I've lost patience for things like this it's not my first issue with the PA State Park System the last one I think someone may have lost their job for refusing my disabled wife's service animal (we received a full refund and big apology for that fiasco) I should have just rented a room In Jim Thorp last night what's another hundred miles with no sleep? I just drove 1000 miles non stop I decided to rough it so I could get some sleep nope not with Dumb and Dumber on Patrol! Anyway I'll refine and update when I review the dashcam video in a few days I could make a movie...

ABSOLUTLY A MUST!!! If you are having any doubts about coming here, DON'T. This place pending on the weather is 100% the coolest place ever at night. So dark but yet so bright with all the stars. I will say that the recent updates and features have improved the park tremendously. If you do plan on attending I would suggest a few things.

1. Check the weather. If its cloudy out you wont see near as much as you will on a clear night.
2. Be respectful while there. There are a lot of people and they try to maintain a dark environment as well as a quiet area here. Remember headlights and avoid bright flashlights.
3. Bring a red flashlight.
4. Bring a blanket. There is a lot of places to sit on the ground to look up at the stars. Even so in the summer it gets cool here. So at the minimum you might need a hoodie during the summer.
5. Maybe visit the place during the day so you know how to...