Great 2025 night photography events in Mojave Desert

We’ve compiled a list of not-to-be-missed night photography and dark sky events for 2025! Come out and experience some Mojave night magic underneath the stars.

Sky’s The Limit

If you’re visiting Joshua Tree National Park, consider stopping by the Sky’s The Limit Observatory and Nature Center in Twentynine Palms, California. Sky’s The Limit is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing hands-on learning opportunities for the people of and visitors to the Joshua Tree Gateway Communities.

They have a night sky program once a month on the Saturday nearest the new moon since that’s when you get the darkest skies and see the most stars and deep-sky objects. They bring out the telescopes for public viewing.

You may also take a tour of the campus. This not only includes the campus, but also the Meditation Garden, sundial, and steel sculptures.

I should also mention that they have an annual Night Sky Festival. Last year, they had it in October. You can get on their mailing list to find out about this.

Night Photography Adventure Workshops

For those who want to do more than stargaze, photography workshops can be a fantastic experience. Furthermore, it’s a great way to make friends and feel safe while photographing the Mojave Desert at night! These workshops are appropriate for beginners to advanced. I will be co-hosting each of these events below.

Nelson Ghost Town and Goffs: April 10, 11 and 12, 2025

Gas pumps, old vintage cars and trucks, rickety Western-style buildings, soda machines, creepy dolls, crashed aircraft, and a phone booth. And that’s just for starters.

Located 43 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nelson Ghost Town is a privately owned, self-contained collection of weirdness and wonder…and it’s growing. You may also add Goffs, along historic Route 66, for one more night of fun and camaraderie.

Find out more about the Nelson Ghost Town and Goffs night photography workshop here!

Joshua Tree/Borrego Springs: June 21 -26, 2025

There is nothing more “otherworldly” and meditative than a night under the stars in Joshua Tree National Park. Well, nothing except three nights under the stars!

Joshua Tree is universally known in the photography community as being a paradise for creatives, especially when paired with the night sky. The never-ending subjects awaiting your lens — with a backdrop of alien landscapes — guarantee every photographer an opportunity to have an incredible creative experience.

Have you ever spent the night hunting dinosaurs, giant scorpions and a serpent hundreds of feet long? Does this sound like fun?

Borrego Springs, nestled in the heart of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in the Colorado Desert of California, offers a unique canvas for night photography enthusiasts. Renowned for its status as an International Dark Sky Community, the town provides an exceptional opportunity to capture the celestial wonders above. With minimal light pollution, too!

Find out more about the Joshua Tree and Borrego Springs workshop here.

Nelson Ghost Town (Dark Skies Edition) and Goffs: October 16-19, 2025

Looking for a weird and interesting place to photograph under starry skies and in the safety of a group? They have taken their always-sold-out ghost town workshop and deleted the moonlight! Nelson Ghost Town is a completely different experience with dark skies than underneath moonlight. You can add Goffs, along historic Route 66, for one more night of fun and camaraderie.

Find out more about the Nelson Ghost Town and Goffs night photography workshop here.

Death Valley Dark Sky Festival

This festival is February 21st-23rd 2025. Death Valley has some of the darkest skies in the region. You can find out more about the Death Valley Dark Sky Festival here at the NPS website.

Photographing or stargazing independently?

Joshua Tree National Park

If you are going to Joshua Tree National Park, ask a ranger about stargazing and night photography conditions. The four designated areas in the Park are the parking lots at Quail Springs, Hidden Valley, Cap Rock, and Ryan Mountain. Pinto Basin also has some of the darkest skies in the Park. Go when the moon is not out, or at some time during the new moon. Bring a camera and a tripod, binoculars, and/or a telescope, and have fun. After all, half the Park is after dark. Click here for more information.

Death Valley National Park

Some of the most impressive dark skies are in Death Valley National Park. In fact, it’s so dark that the Park is classified at the highest level by the  International Dark-Sky Association! You may ask as ranger for suggestions. Or you can go to Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Badwater Basin, Ubehebe Crater, or Harmony Borax Works. I also personally love to go higher in elevation to Wildrose Charcoal Kilns. This is admittedly a bit of a drive, though, especially at night. So is Racetrack Playa, which also has a rough road.

Mojave National Preserve

The amazing Mojave National Preserve is so dark, it’s won the designation of Dark Sky Park. You have gorgeous skies because you’re not near large metropolitan areas and their light pollution. You can go to Hole-in-the-Wall Campground for great stargazing and night photography. Another place is Kelso Dunes, although you cannot camp here. Cima Dome and Mid Hills Campground also fantastic opportunities, especially with the otherworldly landscape.

Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Do you want to stargaze under the watchful eye of enormous dinosaurs? Of course you do. Borrego Springs in the Dark Sky Community for you. And so are the magnificent dinosaur sculptures created by Ricardo Breceda.

The surrounding Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, open 24 hours, is even darker. However, they don’t have dinosaurs. At least, not to my knowledge.

Goffs: Getting your dark sky kicks along Route 66

Goffs, along historic Route 66 and located next to Mojave National Preserve, has an amazing outdoor museum and plenty of dark skies. Furthermore, the museum hosts star parties!

Explore Mojave Desert for more night photography and stargazing opportunities!

There are many more dark sky areas, including some places along historic Route 66. Discover some secret places that you can keep all to yourself if you wish! This article is just to get you started.

Can’t go to the Mojave Desert for night sky magic? Night Photo Summit to the rescue!

Night Photo Summit 2025 – January 2025.

Sure, you might have trouble making it to magical Mojave Desert for night photography or dark night events. However, that doesn’t mean you still can’t learn and participate! Do so virtually from the comfort of your own laptop. Night Photo Summit offers fun, comprehensive lessons, networking, entertainment and more each year. Find out more about Night Photo Summit 2025 here. I will be one of 40+ presenters during this fun event.

Embrace our Mojave Desert dark skies!

Our dark skies are disappearing due to light pollution from encroaching cities and towns. It feels like a real privilege to photograph and view the glorious stars around us. I hope you consider making it out to the Mojave Desert or other dark sky areas, and maybe participate in some of these events in 2025.

For more on how light pollution effects us and our world, please read more on the International Dark Sky Association non-profit organization website.