All Meadows campsites are booked through SSSP at the email address below (preferred) or by telephone. You can book your campsite before you register. SSSP will start accepting Campground bookings on Saturday, April 12th 2025 at 8:00 a.m. CST (-6UT). Email your request to sssp.sk@sasktel.net or call 306-280-1899. Please request your preferred site number and one or two alternate sites. You may book a maximum of two campsites for you and your party. SSSP will book sites for you in the order that they are requested and you will receive a confirmation by email. To be fair to everyone, campsites are issued on a first-come first serve basis and we WILL NOT take bookings for a specific campsite before April 12th.

Once you receive an assignment from us, you are booked for Star Party nights, but you can then attempt to book extra nights for your site (before or after star party dates) through Reserve-a-Site website for Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park starting April 15th at 7:00 a.m. CST. Note that 60% of the most-preferred SSSP campsites booking in the first 48 hours of registration opening. But we do have 108 powered sites so we can always accommodate you right up to the date of the Star Party. We also have 16 rustic, non-powered campsites at Dark-sky Campground.

Note that Camp-Easy tents in the Meadows have been discontinued.

SSSP observing and clinics are held in the Meadows Campground. For the dates of August 20th through 23th, campsites are booked directly though Rick Huziak, separate from the Registration process. To be fair to everyone, campsites are issued on a first-come first serve basis STARTING ON April 12th, THE DATE WE OPEN CAMPING RESERVATIONS, so we WILL NOT be taking bookings for a specific campsite before we officially open camping, and will ignore all requests received beforehand. Once you receive an assignment from Rick you are booked for Star Party nights, but you can then attempt to book extra nights for your site through Reserve-a-Site website for Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park starting April 15. Note that 60% of the most-preferred SSSP campsites booking in the first 48 hours of registration opening. But we do have 108 powered sites to fill, so we can always accommodate you right up to the date of the Star Party.

The provincial Reserve-a-Site website for Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park shows these campsites are blocked out because they have been exclusively reserved for SSSP attendees – they are indeed available. See here for camping fee structure. The Meadows has pull-through and back-in campsites for RVs or tents. Every campsite has power hook-ups, a fire-pit and a picnic table, and some have water hook-ups. If you decide to come earlier than the official reserved days of SSSP you will be sharing camping with non-SSSP campers, but they will all have to leave by the time SSSP begins. The campground lights will be extinguished from August 20th until the morning of August 24th.

Camping costs Electric: $33/night, Camping is booked through the SSSP Registrar, but fees are paid to the Campground Office at the gate entrance on arrival at the park. You will need to have a paid campground permit for your campsite to pick up your registration package.

Here are the Sask Park’s campground rules: HERE

If you need dark skies before or after the star party dates, you are welcome to observe from the Dark-sky Campground at the Observatory. The Observatory has a six guest pads and power plugs on the south side of the building. Out of official star party dates, the Dark-sky Campground, is booked with the Park Campground Office (but with the SSSP registrar for SSSP dates.)

Due to the changes in Park policy and past issues with non-SSSP campers, new camping arrangements were created and agreed to starting in 2021. SSSP has given up Meadows sites M1 through M31 in exchange for all sites in the Main Field and the south camping loops. SSSP campsites are now M32 through M143. Some sites are wide open and some are more private “in the bush.” However, the new arrangement really simplifies gate security and should reduce white light issues with non-SSSP campers now not driving through.

SSSP holds the star party in the Meadows to provide campsite power, water and the service centre, and for this convenience, we do share the area with nearby non-astronomer campers in M1 through M30. However, the main observing area is very dark.

The south loop, approximately M92 through M113 are not good observing sites, but can provide seclusion for those who want it, and for families who don’t want to be immersed in the telescope field. Campers who choose those sites can set their telescopes up for the week in the Main Field Observing Overflow Area, if they wish.

Information for Tenters

Some tenters have mentioned that some campsites are not suitable for tenting since the gravel pad area is too hard to pound pegs into and that there is no adjacent grass. READ THE INDIVIDUAL CAMPSITE DESCRIPTIONS and tell the Registrar that you are tenting, and he will help you choose a site where pegs will penetrate the ground.

In preparation for future camping changes at SSSP, the Park has allowed us limited doubling up of campsites or camping on the grass outside of numbered sites. Overflow camping fees still need to be paid. If you would like to overflow or double up, contact the Registrar for details.

ALL CAMPSITES HAVE POWER. Some have water. Campsite capacity details and images can be found on the Campsite capacity details and images can be found on the Reserve-a-Site website for Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.

  WHITE sites - available; PINK sites - booked; BLACK sites - not available for SSSP.

PDF with notes on individual campsites

All Dark-sky campsites are booked through SSSP at the email address below or by telephone. You can book your campsite before you register. Email your request to sssp.sk@sasktel.net or call 306-280-1899.

SSSP has secured exclusive use of the Dark-sky Campground’s 16 campsites for use by tenters or dry campers. Each site has a fire-pit, but no power or water, and usually a picnic table. At the campground entrance, there is a common cook shack, water tap and a new toilet facility. Flush toilet washrooms with running water are available near the Observatory, and showers are available in the Meadows.

If you can’t observe from the site, there is plenty of room to observe from the entrance road area or from the Meadows Overflow Observing area.

Notes on Individual Dark-sky Campsites:

PDF with notes on individual Dark-sky campsites.

DarkSky location: Map

If you do not want to camp in Meadows, the Dark-sky Campground is available. But SSSP events and activities are held in the Meadows. The Dark-sky sites are more rustic, have a fire-pit and a picnic table, but no power. Rates for these sites are $18/night. This is a great campground to use for astronomy before or after the SSSP or at other times of the year. There are power plugs and pad for telescopes and battery changing on the south wall of the nearby Cypress Observatory, if desired. The Dark-sky Campground is a 7-minute walk from the Meadows Campground.

When arriving at SSSP, enter the Meadows through traditional gate at the Meadows Comet Petriew cairn. The white Registration Tent will be down the road, and you can get registered and find your campsite. You will need to show your paid camping permit to pick up your registration package.

The Service Centre has flush toilets and showers and will be red-lit for the duration of the SSSP. Note that the Service Centre will also be used by non-SSSP campers who occupy other sites in the Meadows. The Park and the SSSP will make efforts to educate these users about telescopes and the star party, and will offer red filters for their flashlights, so if you see a white flashlight, please remind them CALMLY to point them downward. Do not yell at them, or SSSP gets yelled at by the Park.

If you are not staying in the Meadows and want to set up and leave your telescope or equipment tent, you may do so by using the Overflow area, or by occupying a corner of a powered site or a grassy area in between. Have a talk with the site owner to assure they are OK with you setting up there. Equipment tents are allowed but must be labelled "Equipment tent" and must not be occupied. There is no charge to put up an equipment tent. You may leave your equipment set up for the duration if you wish. Leave room for the site owner to get in and out of their site. You will NOT get a picnic table so bring your own table. If you need power, then make a deal with the site owner to plug into their pole (so bring a 50-foot extension cord). Do not set up on any roads.

To be determined.

To be determined.

SSSP is held in the Centre Block of the Cypress Hills Inter-provincial Park. SSSP also pays its speakers and rents some facilities. Camping or hotels are not covered by the SSSP.

Costs you should plan for to attend the SSSP are:

• Transportation costs to and from the SSSP.
• Accommodation costs during your stay. Camping fees are paid to the Park, and Resort rooms are paid to the Resort. SSSP does not pay your camping fees; we just book the sites for you.
• Park gate entry fee (daily, weekly or annual, paid to the Park.)
• Registration fees (payable the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party.) Registration fees fund speakers, pre-paid meals and facilities rentals.
• Meals outside of what was registered for. (SSSP provides only the pre-paid barbecue and the Saturday banquet meals.)
• Cash for commercial activities in the park (golfing, horseback riding, zip line, etc.), though there are many free activities for the family.
• Cash for astronomical toys, since SSSP has astronomy vendors present.

SSSP strives to keep all costs as low as possible, especially registration costs, since we want the star party to be as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

Our SSSP family has been incredibly supportive of the summer star party in past years. We really appreciate the generosity of our patrons, which helps us with operating costs and creating better programming. Donations (any time of the year) help us with those goals.

Here are some ways to donate:

• Donate cash on the Registration Form at the time of registering.
• Donate cash anytime
• Sponsor a Free Registration Door Prize.
• Donate a door prize.

Three ways to pay:

1. On-line registration form: Enter your name, email (twice), scroll to the bottom of the form and use Coupon Code: magic-XX and go to Pay Now. (where XX is the amount. I.e., magic-42 donates $42.)
2. Personal cheque mailed to our mailbox, made out to Saskatchewan Summer Star Party. Mail to: RASC Saskatoon, PO Box 31086, RPO Broadway, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5S8
3. Cash at the Star Party.

SSSP does not currently accept e-transfers.

Q. Why are sites already booked out on the first day of registration? I thought all sites were first come/first serve!

A. We prebook sites for a) registration tent, b) vendors, c) speakers, d) dignitaries/special guests. All others are first come/first served. Even organizers do not get guaranteed sites ahead of the first booking day.

Q. Why do I have to pay for camping?

A. SSSP is held in a provincial park campground where everyone has to pay for camping. The park bends over backwards to block off the campground for exclusive use during SSSP. The sites have power for your telescopes and hot showers are available. Our other option is an open, empty field with no power, no shade, no facilities, and port-a-potties.

Q. How long does it take to organize SSSP?

A. We start in October with monthly meetings until January. On January 1, the Wapiti room is booked 2 years in advance. In February we switch to weekly meetings to get speakers arranged, put up the website and open camping/registration. Then we switch to bi-weekly meetings and one month before the star party, we go beck to weekly. So, about 24 meetings. It takes a few thousand hours and over 2600 emails.

Q. How much time is spent on Camping bookings?

A. The first day of camping bookings in 2022 took 14 hours, and the second day, 6 hours. About 85 sites (of 102) were booked and about 250 email exchanges occurred.

Q. How many organizers organize SSSP?

A. 6 to 7 core members. We pull in one more member closer to the star party date to handle the photo/sketch contest. At the star party, we recruit 30 – 50 volunteers from participants who agree to work up a 2-hour shift during the star party. We appreciate that so many take pride in helping us out!

Q. Want is the attendance at the star party?

A. Typical final modern attendance is 315 +/- 20. First year (1997) – 185, lowest (2003) – 183, highest (2009 RASC General Assembly) – 405. 2460 different people have attended SSSP as of 2022.

Q. Why can’t we have ALL of the Meadows, including sites 1 though 31?

A. We don’t have enough attendance to fill all of the campsites. We average just under 3 people per campsite (ignoring resort users), so we’d need another 100 people attending, and we just don’t draw a crowd that size. So, this is a compromise with the park for “best fit” for our attendees with the least disruption from public campers.

Q. Does SSSP pay its speakers?

A. Yes. We pay all speakers and clinicians at a rate competitive with other star parties. We do not pay the Friday night short talk speakers.

Laser pointers are now regulated under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA), the Radiation Emitting Devices Act (REDA), and by Transport Canada. The RASC has worked with Transport Canada and obtained authorization to use hand-held laser pointers at any RASC sponsored event outside the restricted airports zone. The SSSP site is a permitted location for the use of hand-held laser pointers.

Transport Canada Requirements

• Hand-held lasers may only be used outside of a 10km radius of airports and never pointed in the direction of an aircraft.
• Hand-held lasers rated as Class 2 (less than 1mW) and Class 3R or IIIa (less than 5mW) may be used.
• The lasers will only be used for identifying stars, constellations, and celestial objects across the night sky, for the purpose of public education.
• Laser operators and spotters must be trained by their Centres and have their current Membership Card and a copy of the Transport Canada authorization letter in their possession.
• Members can download a printable membership card from their account on the RASC and the letter of authorization from Transport Canada can be obtained from the following link https://www.rasc.ca/authorisation.
• A minimum of one trained spotter is necessary during the use of the laser.
• All authorizations for the entire Society across Canada will be revoked if there is any breach of conditions from any member.

SSSP Specifics

• Authorization for use at SSSP is extended (through the TC agreement) only for current RASC members that have been trained by their Centres.
• Other clubs may have such authorization, but SSSP is not aware of such cases, thus only RASC members will be allowed to use lasers at the SSSP.
• SSSP will provide trained laser operators and spotters if lasers are used at SSSP programs such as at clinics or public outreach events.

Other things to see while you are in the area:

• Town of Maple Creek (also surrounding area accommodation can be found here) http://maplecreek.ca
• Fort Walsh National Historic Site and Farwell's Trading Post http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/sk/walsh/index.aspx
• Scottie in the T-Rex Museum (Eastend, SK) https://www.royalsaskmuseum.ca/trex
• Great Sand Dunes (1.5-hour drive north of Maple Creek) http://www.greatsandhillsmuseum.com/
• Grasslands National Park Dark Sky Preserve (Val Marie, SK) http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/sk/grasslands/index.aspx
• Old Man on His Back Nocturnal Preserve https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/where-we-work/saskatchewan/featured-projects/old-man-on-his-back-ranch.html

REGISTRATION PAYMENT: The SSSP may have trouble cashing personal cheques drawn from American banks. Please choose one of the following payment options:

• Credit card payments via Square. Square billing will be in Can$ and conversion to foreign currency should be automatically handled by your method of payment.
• International money order or bank draft. Please pay in Can$. Request your bank to convert the Can$ total to the US$ amount payable and have them state “Can$” on the draft.
• Pre-register on-line or by mail and tell us you will pay cash at the star party.

The SSSP will honour international currency conversion rates before and at the Star Party.

BANKING MACHINES: Cypress Hills Park contains Interac banking machines that issue Can$. Banking machines can be found at the Resort, Visitor’s Centre and at a few other locations around the park.

PASSPORTS & CUSTOMS: U.S.A. and foreign residents require passports to enter Canada. Plan your border crossing times. Since the location of the star party is in a low population density area of Saskatchewan, not all customs border crossings have 24-hour service, and some crossings have limited service hours. A list of crossings from Montana and North Dakota and their hours of operation can be found here:
https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/list-of-border-crossings/montana/
https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/list-of-border-crossings/north-dakota/

The SSSP Committee welcomes astronomy (and related) dealers to set up booths at the SSSP. At this event you have the potential to reach over 350 astronomy enthusiasts just looking to buy something.

To participate, you are asked to follow the standard registration procedure: i.e., vendors must register as normal participants at the normal costs for the star party. You may in turn sell and conduct normal business within the Meadows observing field, but due to Park restrictions cannot solicit elsewhere in the park. The SSSP is not responsible for vendors’ business costs (transportation, accommodation, living, etc.). Vendors are responsible for their own arrangements, park entry and must pay standard camping fees (to the Park) and campsite power if needed, if staying in the Meadows. The SSSP is not responsible for any merchandise loss or damage. As registered SSSP star party goers, vendors are welcome to participate in all activities that they have registered for.

If you would like to donate a door prize, this will be graciously accepted & will be accordingly acknowledged, though a door prize donation is not required and is at the discretion of the vendor.

Vendors can also submit an ad to be published in our SSSP Handout brochure. Rates are:

        Full page: $60.00        Half page: $40.00        Quarter page: $25.00

Ads printed in the SSSP Handout are gray-scale photocopied and are not in colour. Formatted ads for inclusion in the printed brochure must be received no later than 15 days prior to the star party.

Alternately, the SSSP will pre-package vendor-supplied product brochures in our registration folders free of charge if they are received no later than 15 days before the start of the star party. Approximately 200 registration packages are handed out. (Send to Attn: Rick Huziak, RASC Saskatoon Centre, PO Box 31086, RPO Broadway, Saskatoon, SK S7H 5S8)

The SSSP is a Red-Light Only Zone from sundown to sun-up. We are not unique: all star parties insist on no white lights and red lights at low intensity to preserve night vision for participants. If you are a new attendee or do not understand these regulations, ask a star party organizer for assistance. If you see lights in the Meadows that are bothering you, please ask an SSSP organizer to assist in fixing the offending lights.

FLASHLIGHTS: White light flashlights are NOT allowed! Use only red filtered flashlights, point them at the ground and keep them as dim as possible.

VEHICLES: Please make sure to have your car parked in its final resting position well before darkness sets in. If you do not intend to remain in the Meadows Observing Field all night long, park and set up near to the entrance so you can leave without blinding everybody! The most common offending light issues with vehicles are interior dome lights and uncovered backup lights coming on unexpectedly and blue flashing security lights on the dash. Please cover these.

MOVING VEHICLES AT NIGHT: If you have to move after darkness, use park-lights only, or be lead with lights off by someone with a red flashlight. (This is not advised for safety reasons and to be used only in an emergency). Gate security people will have a limited supply of red flags to cover car lights. Cover the following lights: interior, back-up, license plate, trunk and headlights. Gate security people will tape red flags your vehicle lights at the gate as you arrive. EVEN IF YOU THINK IT IS TOO CLOUDY FOR YOUR LIKING, it is not too cloudy for others. Use red lights only, clear or cloudy. Some observers or clinics occur during cloudy, partly cloudy or hazy nights.

RV WINDOWS, DOORS, STRING-LIGHTS AND PORCH LIGHTS: These are all of great concern. Curtains alone are rarely thick enough to stop light from being emitted out of the trailer. It is sometimes necessary to tape black bags or extra coverings over windows. Please cover all windows on RVs as not to accidentally have a family member flash the crowd with white light.

REGISTATION TENT, VENDOR TENTS & SERVICE CENTRE: These areas are red-lit as gathering or service places.

A full set of Light Etiquette suggestions will be in the registration brochure in your registration package.

The SSSP is held in a provincial park, thus provincial park entry fees apply to your stay. Pay at the park gate as you enter.

Current fees are:

• $11/day
• $42/week
• $82 transferable annual pass
• Free for Saskatchewan seniors (65+ years with ID)

For more information on Saskatchewan Parks, visit the Tourism Saskatchewan web site HERE.

For more information on others fees, click HERE.

The Redlight Cafe will provide coffee tea, and hot chocolate in the Registration Tent in the Meadows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, open about 10 pm – 2 am or so, maybe later. Refreshments by donation.

The SSSP will offer refunds for registration costs and prepaid activities, EXCEPT we will retain a $15 administration fee from those who wish to withdraw from the SSSP prior to the start of the star party and for no-show participants except as follows:

• If possible, refunds for shirts will be made, but if cancellation is not possible, pre-paid shirts will be mailed out at the participant's cost after the star party.

No shows are defined as those who have not registered by the end of registration period on the Saturday afternoon of the star party. However, please telephone us at 306-280-1899 (star party cell) as soon as you know you cannot attend.

Registration fees that have been held over in past years will be honoured, but starting in 2021, we will no longer be holding over funds and all refunds will be returned following the star party.

SSSP is held in Meadows Campground. Meadows has a Service Centre with flush toilets and showers. SSSP had input into the design of the Service Centre, so that the building remains as dark as possible and contains separate red lighting used during the star party. However, Meadows also contains streetlights that are used outside of star party dates. All streetlights follow dark-sky full cut-off requirements. It should be noted that the Cypress Hills Dark-Sky Preserve Agreement does not limit development within the Park, especially in the core area where businesses are located and where campers camp. Thus new and renovated campgrounds can receive lighting provided that it is compliant with dark-sky rules. Meadows covers approximately 8 acres of a 197,000-acre dark-sky preserve. Almost all other areas of the Park outside of the core area contain no lighting.

In 2013, SaskPower changed the last 90 old style drop-lens cobra-head streetlights in the Park to IP-addressable flat-lens full cut-off lights that can be dimmed and turned off by the Park using an RF link. These lights can be dimmed or shut off on command. Almost all streetlights within the park are now compliant to the Dark-sky Agreement.

If observing time is desired beyond star party dates, any area within the park can be used for that activity, though you cannot camp overnight in non-designated campgrounds. You can, however, take advantage of camping and no lights in the Dark-Sky campground immediately northwest of Meadows. The campground contains 16 non-powered, unlit campsites. Since the Cypress Observatory is the home of a new observatory and Yurt classroom, some activity using red light may occur during interpretive programs, but otherwise, the site is very dark. Eight outside power plugs and concrete pads for visitor telescopes are available for use and are located on the south side of the Observatory.

Benefits of the Cypress Hills Dark-Sky Agreement:

• the creation of Canada's largest Dark-sky Preserve when signed in 2004
• the construction of the Dark-sky Campground
• the construction of the Cypress Observatory & Yurt classroom
• astronomy interpretive program with telescopes - the highest-attended program in the Park
• addition of a permanent astronomer-interpreter at the park
• inspiration for Beaver Hills DSP, Grasslands DSP and Old Man on his Back Nocturnal Preserve
• inter-park equestrian campgrounds with Grasslands National Park DSP
• cross-training of interpreters between Cypress Hills and Grasslands DSPs
• the first RASC General Assembly ever held in a Dark-sky Preserve (2009)
• awareness of light pollution issues in Saskatchewan
• a DSP display in the Park Interpretive Centre
• Cypress Hills & Grasslands DSPs as Southwest Saskatchewan Tourism favoured destinations in 2011 and 2014
• Cypress DSP featured on Saskatchewan Televsion Network's "15 Minutes of Fame"
• Cypress DSP featured to foreign television viewers during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Vignettes as a Canada Destination Place
• 400 astronomers use the Park respectfully every August and produce additional Park revenue
• first park to prototype purpose design orange LED FCO trail lighting in 2018

• 29th Annual Saskatchewan Summer Star Party: August 12 - August 16, 2026
• 30th Annual Saskatchewan Summer Star Party: August 4 - August 7, 2027
• 31st Annual Saskatchewan Summer Star Party: August 16 – August 20, 2028
• 47th Annual Saskatchewan Summer Star Party: August 17 - 22 or August 22 - 28, 2044; August 22 - Total Eclipse of the Sun - SSSP'44 is on the Centre Line!

A total eclipse of the sun will occur over the Saskatchewan Summer Star Party on Monday August 22, 2044 just after 7:15 pm. (1:15 Aug. 23 UT). Note that the eclipse also occurs over Edmonton, Calgary, Medicine Hat, and Maple Creek. This will likely affect our Albertan attendance figures, but not for the rest of you coming from elsewhere!

We have not decided yet if the star party will be August 17 - 22 or August 22 – 28; either date is likely okay! Make your plans early!

The location of the centre of the Meadows Observing Field is:

• Latitude: 49° 39' 14.65" (+49.6541)
• Longitude: 109° 31' 20.02" W (-109.5222)
• Height above sea level: 1390 metres (4560 feet), this is 600 metres higher than Maple Creek
• Time Zone: Central Standard (CST) minus 6 hours from UT