Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory

Mayland Earth to Sky Park & Bare Dark Sky Observatory, formerly the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park, is located six miles west of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The six-acre (2.4-hectare) site, surrounded by rugged mountain terrain and the Pisgah National Forest, is owned by Yancey County and managed by Mayland Community College (MCC). The site was once known as the EnergyXchange, a project that used methane waste gas from an old landfill to heat horticultural greenhouses and artists’ studios.

MCC opened a public observatory with a roll-off roof at the site in 2017, featuring a custom-built 86-cm f/3.6 Newtonian telescope and a Meade 35-cm LX200 telescope for public viewing. The Glenn and Carol Arthur Planetarium has since been completed, featuring a 36-foot projection dome that hosts weekly shows ranging from traditional astronomy to STEM-related programs.