Stargazing sessions are supported by the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York.

Click here for the Transit of Venus Viewing Party

Inwood Hill Park Bear Rock Meadow
Photo of Bear Rock by Hank Schenker

Please Click On and print out the Trail Map below,
or click here.

This location is the best place to see stars in Manhattan. This "Forever Wild" park has no streetlamps and we are 200 feet above the city lights below. Dark and wonderful, it is a great way to experience the night sky right near home.
All stargazing outings are a no-alcohol, no-noise events.

When it Happens

Going up to the hilltop is not a regularly scheduled event. These meetings will usually be Friday or Saturday nights, but they could be any night if something interesting is happening. I announce them only a few hours in advance of going up to the hilltop. To know about these special, sporadic events, you need to be subscribed to the Google Group, Facebook Group or my Twitter feed. I will also always post something on this website across the top. So, if it looks clear out, and it's a weekend night, check out the pages and see if we are going up. Times will typically be from 8pm to late.

What to Wear

In the Summer bugs are out in force, so wear a jacket, long pants and shoes. If you don't wear long pants and shoes, you will really wish you had. Also wear good walking shoes, because it is a 200 yard walk to the top. In the Fall and Spring, make sure to bring a hat and gloves, because it always feels colder than you think it is. In the Winter, seriously bundle up.

What to Bring

Just bring yourself and a friend. We have all the rest. Bring binoculars if you have them. You can print out a star map. And please bring a red cover for your flashlight. It is also nice to bring a lawn chair. These are a no-alcohol, no-noise events.

Arrive at the Park by Subway

To arrive by subway, take the "A" train to the 200th Street/Dyckman Street stop. Walk towards the Park on Dyckman Street (go West) and take a right on Seaman Street. Go up the Hill to Beak Street, and take a left. The entrance is right there. You can also use the Google streep map and street images below to know what it looks like.

Entering the Park

We will meet at the park entrance at Payson and Beak Streets about 30 minutes before sunset. We wait for a few minutes for people before walking up. For latecomers, we mark the path with white chalk every 20-30 feet. If you don't see signs at the entrance or lots of chalk marks along the way, then there is no event that night, or we have packed up and left. We typically leave by midnight. Print out the trail map above.

View Inwood Astronomy Project Locations in a larger map

About Jason Kendall

I am the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador for New York City. I hold a Master of Science in Astronomy from New Mexico State University and am currently adjunct faculty at William Paterson University. I have led numerous "starwatching parties" and astronomy events in New York City, New Mexico, Minnesota and Texas. It all started way back in the fourth grade by the encouragement of two noted astronomers, Charles Schweighauser and Bart Bok. I saw Saturn through Charlie's telescope at then Sangamon State University on a clear Illinois night, and Bart encouraged me under those stars to study hard to come visit him at Kitt Peak National Observatory. I finally did make it down there about a decade after Bart passed away, and I found the favorite spots in Tucson, Arizona, where Bart and his wife Priscilla would spend when they were not gazing at the stars. Bart and his wife were pioneers in the study of the Milky Way, and their studies of the starforming regions called Bok Globules. It's even in my family. My great-grandfather was a Midwestern minister who used to preach his sermons out under the dark, cloudless nights. He always believed that getting out and experiencing the wonders of the natural world was a central part of being human. My family has always been inspired by his words: "We look up to look within." I hope that you'll join me under the stars or at one of my talks.

Come see what's up in the sky!

Jason Kendall
NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador to New York City

The Inwood Astronomy Project is thankful for the support of the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors Program, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the New York Public Library, the International Year of Astronomy and the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York


We look up to look within