Why does nobody talk about light pollution in the Grand Canyon?

I finally made it to the Grand Canyon last month for a night sky photo trip. I was expecting total darkness and stars like you see in all the photos. But the South Rim is basically glowing from all the lodge lights and headlights from the parking lot. It took me 3 nights to find a spot 2 miles down the Bright Angel Trail that was dark enough. The ranger just shrugged when I asked about it. Has anyone else been disappointed by the light bleed at a famous dark sky spot?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_anderson1mo ago

Wait, the ranger seriously just shrugged about it?

the_gavin1mo ago

Exactly. I see it completely differently. The South Rim is a developed area with lodges and a parking lot, of course it has lights. That is not the same as "light pollution in the Grand Canyon." The ranger shrugged because you were complaining about a lodge having lights. The whole POINT of the Canyon is that you can hike a mile or two from the rim and get real darkness. You proved that yourself when you found a good spot 2 miles down Bright Angel. That is working as intended. The famous night sky photos are all taken from the backcountry or the North Rim, not from the Bright Angel Lodge parking lot. Your disappointment is really just about not knowing where to go beforehand.