Want to escape the Bay Area’s bright city lights for some amazing night sky photos? You don’t need to drive forever. Here are my 4 top spots that are all within two hours of San Francisco, each with different levels of difficulty to reach.

Henry Coe State Park 

Distance: 1.5 hours southeast
Difficulty: Hard to get to

Bortle:  3 or 4 most nights.

Henry Coe has the darkest skies you’ll find near the Bay Area. On clear nights, you can see the Milky Way really well here. The drive is pretty rough with narrow mountain roads, so this place is better for people who have done night photography before and have a good car. But if you can make it, the views are incredible – you can see stars in every direction without city lights getting in the way.

Mount Hamilton – The Famous Observatory

Distance: 1.5 hours southeast
Difficulty: Medium

Bortle: 5

This is where the old Lick Observatory sits on top of the mountain. You can’t take photos right at the observatory, but there are lots of spots to pull over along the winding road up the mountain. The road is paved, so it’s easier to drive than Henry Coe, and you can go year-round (though winter can be tricky). The skies are pretty dark up there, making it a favorite spot for many photographers. To me this place is quite a bit overhyped. The time when this was a great spot to view anything are long gone.

Point Reyes – Ocean Views with Stars

Distance: 1-1.5 hours north
Difficulty: Easy

Bortle: 4-5

Point Reyes gives you something special, you can photograph stars over the Pacific Ocean. The lighthouse area and Chimney Rock are great spots to set up your telescope. Just be ready for fog and wind, especially in summer. Sometimes the fog actually makes your photos look cooler when it’s only covering part of the view. Park rangers sometimes can be quick to yell, so bring thick skin.

Saratoga Mountains – Quick and Easy

Distance: 45 minutes to 1 hour south
Difficulty: Easy

Bortle 4-5 depending where you go.

These mountains are the closest decent dark skies to San Francisco. Places like Castle Rock State Park and spots along Skyline Boulevard aren’t as dark as the other locations, but they’re way closer. Generally it’s a good idea to go on the Santa Cruz side of mountains since it can be much darker then the valley side.This makes them perfect for school nights when you don’t want to drive far but still want to have fun. Past 11pm there will be others that will be watching starts so make sure you take a peek through all telescopes that people set up.

Important Stuff to Remember: Always check if the moon will be bright (it can wash out stars), look at the weather forecast, and tell someone where you’re going. Bring a red flashlight, warm clothes, and extra camera batteries. ALSO it gets cold in the mountains at night, even in summer. REALLY REALLY COLD……