ANSA NEWS!
Arkansas Natural Sky Association
ANSA is a membership-based 501(c)3 non-profit & the Arkansas chapter of DarkSky International.
Some of America’s darkest skies lie over its wildest, roadless lands. Now, protections for 44.7 million acres are at risk.
New DarkSky analysis found that roadless lands contain nearly twice the national share of the country’s darkest skies. Rescinding the Roadless Rule could open these landscapes to new roads, with development and artificial light following close behind, putting some of the country’s last naturally dark places at risk.
DarkSky is opposing the proposed rescission, and you can stand with us.
🌌 Add your name in support of DarkSky’s opposition
📣 Submit your own public comment to the U.S. Forest Service
Learn more and take action: bit.ly/4A9jDLd
Protecting roadless lands also means protecting the natural night.
📷 Photo by Rhonda Royse
🚨 News update, read carefully for important changes to the 2026 Arkansas Dark-Sky Festival.
🌧️ The current forecast is for rain Thursday and Friday. Saturday is now partly cloudy in the evening on some forecasts, and clear on Astrospheric, which specializes in astronomy weather. So we are guardedly hopeful for Saturday night.
☔️ If it is raining Friday afternoon, there will be no program. However, the grounds will be open for campers. If it improves, we will have programming Friday night for commuters and campers. Watch the weather.
🎶 The rain should stop by Saturday and we intend to have programming Saturday as close to that described in the event guide as practical. If it clears, that will include the observing program. If not, we will have games and presentations and music. Should be fun either way.
🧣BTW, note the change in temperature – dress in layers warmer than you think you need to.
Now here is important information on grounds access and where things are located.
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🗺️ Below are two maps. The first shows the access to the grounds from Highway 65 north of Marshall. Look for feather flags on the side of the road a few miles south of the Buffalo River. (This is the same map as in the Event Guide.) The second map zooms in on the activity area.
⛺️ Looking at the first map, if you are camping on site, regardless of what night you arrive, you WILL NOT follow the green dotted line as shown on the first map or the black one on the second map. Instead of turning left on “Festival Access Rd.” at the indicated point on the first map, campers should continue on Dark Sky Trail as it curves to the right and follow it to the “Volunteer Access cattle guard” as shown. Turn left and cross the cattle guard, then turn right toward the area marked “camping”. There will be a vehicle drive marked with reflective snow poles through the camping area. You can pull over to the left or right side of that path to park and camp. There should be a volunteer near the cattle guard area to help direct you between 4:00 and 7:30 PM Friday. By Saturday, it should be obvious where to park and camp.
🚗 If you are commuting and it is not raining Friday night, follow the new path described above for the campers, but don’t go over the cattle guard; instead, park along the fence line past the cattle guard marked as “volunteer parking” on the first map, then walk in across the cattle guard and down to the pavilion shown on the second map. Again, there should be someone there to help guide you. If it is raining, there is no programming Friday night, and we will not expect any commuters. On Saturday night, commuters will turn left as shown below and follow the green dotted line to “parking” as originally planned.
Below is the zoomed-in map of the grounds. It shows the new camper access route into the grounds as a green dashed arrow and highlights the old black dotted-line route to ignore (sorry for the color switch). Saturday night, commuters park in the area designated “parking,” as originally intended. On foot, follow the black dotted line shown on the second map from the “parking” area up the primitive road that parallels the creek to the pavilion area where the programming will be held.
🤞 Hope to see you there, and hopefully under the stars.
Bruce
P.S. There will be no further updates on this platform about this event. All others will go out only to those who have registered. You can register on-site Saturday.
