Almost Heaven Star Party
Celebrating 20 Years!A week of dark skies, expert talks, and deep-sky observing at 4,400 ft in the Allegheny Mountains. The Mid-Atlantic's longest-running dedicated star party — now in its 20th year.
A week built for astronomers, from first-time observers to lifelong sky-hunters.

Observe deep-sky
Nebulae, galaxies, globular clusters — Spruce Knob's Bortle-2 skies reveal what's normally lost to light pollution.

Talks & speakers
Featured speakers Friday and Saturday evenings in the Outside Yurt, plus hands-on sessions through the week.

Raffle & swap
The annual prize raffle, the gear swap table, and plenty of walking-the-field time to peer through scopes you've only read about.

Community
Shared meals, bonfire conversations, and the quiet camaraderie of people who stay up all night together, every year.
Spruce Knob Mountain Center — West Virginia's highest point, and one of the darkest skies east of the Mississippi.
Private campus, private road, 4,400 feet of elevation, and horizon-to-horizon clear sightlines. Lodging ranges from tent sites to heated yurts and cabins.
Featured talks Friday & Saturday. Observing every clear night.
The full 2026 program builds on the traditions that make AHSP what it is — same activities as last year, new dates. Featured speakers at 6:45 pm Friday and Saturday in the Outside Yurt.
Also returning: Canoeing, Caving, Biking at Sweetwater Farms, Cass Scenic Railroad, Birdwatching, Back Ridge Observatory open house, Shared Solar Observing, Observing 201, Photo Gallery — Shoot & Show.
Fresh from the organizers.

Registration goes live
Early-bird pricing available through May. Lodging and meal packages are booking faster than last year — reserve your spot early.
Read more →
Speaker lineup announced
This year's talks lean toward practical astrophotography, Galactic structure, and amateur contributions to professional research.
Read more →
20 years, in numbers
A look at two decades of AHSP — attendees, scopes, clouded-out nights, and the handful of alumni who've made every single year.
Read more →Two decades of photographs from the field.
A sample from the AHSP photo archive — attendee shots, deep-sky captures, and scenes around the mountain.
Photos by past AHSP attendees: Michael Fulbright, condenser-mike, Rick Trinnes, James Stack, Bob Traube, Chris Lee, George Doschek, Danielle Fahrenholz, John Sojka.
Watching the sky before you arrive.
Weather · Spruce Knob
Join the 20th.
Registration is open. Lodging, meals, and optional workshop add-ons are handled in one checkout. We'd love to see you at Spruce Knob this August.
