One of the best sites within an hour's drive of SLC, from the standpoint of dark skies, is the Lakeside site. Wasatch front skyglow is a faint band only a few degrees above the eastern horizon. A short stretch of I-80 is visible from the first couple of miles of the access road, but in practice the traffic is so far away that it's not a problem. Wendover has an insignificant glow above it. The caveat, as Erik notes for Rush Valley as well, is dust. The ground is like a giant powder puff in summer, especially during a prolonged dry spell. I'm still on the lookout for a rocky segment of ground somewhere out there; if anybody finds one, please post it's exact location. If the club ever got inspired enough to dump about 30 cubic yards of one-inch gravel out there, close to the road and on a gentle slope for drainage, I'd certainly be willing to contribute to the cost. A layer of 6-mil plastic underneath it would keep it from disappearing into the ground. Just an idea and very hypothetical, I don't want to rock the boat or break any unwritten laws (again). It's maddening that the combination of nice ground site and excellent skies rarely coincide within a 60 to 90 minute drive of my segment of the Wasatch front. On 7/21/07, erikhansen@thebluezone.net <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> wrote:
Yes, it does but is dusty in summer and of course some smoke. Erik
Does the Rush Valley site provide decent dark sky views of the south and
south west?