Whispering Pines Camp
Home to Medicine Hat Astronomy Club's Southern Alberta Star Party.
The camp is located in a Bortle 2 area of the spectacular Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Dark‑Sky Preserve, just 1.7km from Elkwater, Alberta.
Whispering Pines Camp is privately owned by Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada.
Whispering Pines Amenities
The 6‑acre field has lots of room for tents and RVs.
Twelve rustic cabins are also available, with heating and lighting, ten of which are in an open area with unobstructed views of the sky.
The main building features washrooms, showers, a large auditorium with audio‑visual equipment, laundry facilities, a games room, and a large communal kitchen and dining room.
Camping at SASP
The camping field is very well maintained. It is mowed, level and free of rocks and holes. There are a few disc-golf targets around the field so care should be taken not to bump into one in the dark.
There are no designated sites in the camping field, so camping is offered on a rush basis.
Potable water is available from a standpipe near the camp entrance.
Power in the field is limited, but every cabin has an external 15‑amp plugin, so bring an extension cord and park near a cabin if you need electricity.
Cabin Accommodation at SASP
In the open field are ten cabins with power, lighting and heating. Washrooms and showers are in the main building. Each cabin has two rooms with bunks for six people.
Another two cabins are available under trees, with auxiliary washrooms and showers nearby. Both cabins have a single, large room with bunks for 8‑12 people.
All cabin bunks have mattresses, but guests must bring their own pillows and bedding.
Around Whispering Pines
Elkwater townsite is 1.7km away, with a convenience store, a visitor centre and museum, a gas station, a hotel, two restaurants, and a mini-golf course.
Elkwater Lake offers boating, fishing (licence required), a swimming area, and a beach.
The nearest full-service centre is Medicine Hat, which is approximately 65km away.
Guest speaker: Alan Dyer
Alan Dyer is one of Canada’s best-known astronomy authors and astrophotographers.
He currently serves as a contributing editor to Sky and Telescope magazine and is a frequent contributor to AstroGearToday.com. He has co-authored several best selling guidebooks for amateur astronomers, most recently The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide.
Alan takes the opportunity as often as possible to visit southern latitudes in pursue of fabulous southern skies. His other obsession, eclipse chasing, has taken him to every continent, chalking up 16 total solar eclipses. Asteroid 78434 is named for him.
His website is AmazingSky.com.
SASP 2023 Registration
Camping
$150
per family unit
($200 after 4th June)
- 5 days Star Party
- 5 nights accommodation
- Bring your own tent/RV
- Potable water standpipe
- Shared electricity
- Quiet dogs welcome
- Choose your site
Cabin Room
$200
per family unit
($250 after 4th June)
- 5 days Star Party
- 5 nights accommodation
- Sleeps 1 to 6 people
- Heating
- Lighting
- Electricity
- Unobstructed sky
Exclusive Cabin
$250
per family unit
($300 after 4th June)
- 5 days Star Party
- 5 nights accommodation
- Sleeps 8 or 12 people
- Heating
- Lighting
- Electricity
- Under trees
Registration code has been applied.
Registration deadline is Sunday, 27th August.
The first 30 people to register will receive a free commemorative patch!
Let us know if your preferred accommodation is fully booked and you would like to be added to a cancellation list.
Solar and Lunar Ephemerides for SASP 2023
| 10 Sun | 11 Mon | 12 Tue | 13 Wed | 14 Thu | 15 Fri | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 06:51 | 06:53 | 06:54 | 06:56 | 06:57 | |
 | 19:46 | 19:43 | 19:41 | 19:39 | 19:37 | |
 | 02:47 | 03:58 | 05:08 | 06:17 | 07:26 | |
 | 18:40 | 19:03 | 19:21 | 19:36 | 19:48 | |
 | 04:57 | 04:59 | 05:01 | 05:03 | 05:05 | |
 | 21:38 | 21:35 | 21:33 | 21:30 | 21:28 | |
| New Moon is on 14th September at 19:40 | ||||||
"I was fortunate to attend the first SASP in 2022. It was one incredible affair.
If you have never seen very dark Bortle skies, your imagination will get the best of you. SASP is exceptional, and so are the stargazers."
Roy from Edmonton, AB.
"The Southern Alberta Star Party is an event I look forward to for the entire year.
The clear, dark skies combined with the on-site amenities and comfortable accommodations make this my number one astronomy event of the year."
Aaron from Cochrane, AB.
"The Southern Alberta Star Party is my top pick! The organizers went above & beyond to make it a fun time.
The large dining area provided a convenient warm place to eat, meet new people & visit. Many impromptu discussions occurred with the occasional astronomy equipment show & tell. Great indoor showers & washrooms on the lower level.
As a tent camper, getting a cabin room was a total luxury that allowed me to spread out my gear for easier access. Much warmer than a tent!
Huge auditorium for talks, gear swap tables & even a movie night one day.
I truly enjoyed my time & feel like I made some new friendships along the way!"
Larry from Calgary, AB.
Entry to Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park is free on the Alberta side.
