It’s All in the Numbers
Here we are again, another year later, announcing a chock-full itinerary of new workshops. Let’s take a look at some numbers:
8 …
This is Season 8 of National Parks at Night workshops. We can’t fathom how to adequately express how grateful we are to all of you who make this possible. Thank you.
25 …
The number of workshops and tours in our Season 8 itinerary. That comprises 16 based at destinations in the U.S. and 9 based overseas.
12 …
The number of units of the National Park Service we’ll be workshopping in, including:
the newest national park (New River Gorge)
one of only two U.S. national parks that’s not in a state (Virgin Islands)
a national park our alumni voted for us to return to (Olympic)
a national historic landmark that’s allowing us exclusive night access to its Industrial Age grounds (Sloss Furnaces)
a national seashore that’s home to some of the most photogenic lighthouses in the country (Cape Cod)
a national park gem of Utah that will go dark under an annular solar eclipse (Capitol Reef)
and more!
6 …
The number of countries we’ll be visiting for adventuring and photographing day and night—the most ever for an itinerary in our 8 years so far.
100 …
Once July rolls around and we sail away from Monhegan Island, the number of workshops and tours that National Parks at Night will have run since our first year. That’s right, we’re hitting triple digits! And we fully intend to throw a party!
A Few Notes
Before we get into the specifics of the workshops, we’d like to share a few ideas.
How are Some Already Sold Out?
As a special thank you to those who attend our workshops, who sign up for our waitlist and who subscribe to our email list, every year we announce our itinerary to those three groups before “going public.”
This year, as usual, our community has committed very strongly to many of the workshops. (Our gratitude is infinite.) Because of that, nine of our new workshops and tours sold out during the past week. Additionally, five other events were announced last year and sold out some time ago.
Still, as of press time, nine of our Season 8 workshops and tours still have seats left, plus Faroe Islands this fall), so it’s easy to join us in amazing places such as Joshua Tree National Park, Cape Cod, the Lofoten Islands, Iceland and more!
If you really want to go to one of those other places with us …
We Can’t say it Enough: Use the Waitlist
Openings happen for almost every workshop, and those spots always get offered to the waitlist first. If you see something you really want to attend and there are no tickets now, we urge you to sign up for the waitlist today.
The Workshops
Below you can read a little bit about each of the workshops we’ll be running in our eight season. Click on the photos or the links to read even more.
If you’d like to see a lineup of all the workshops we have scheduled for 2022-23, including updates on how many tickets are available in each, see our Season 8 Workshops page:
Passport Series
These are our signature event workshops, which we hold in national parks. We teach every day, either in the classroom or on field trips, and we shoot every night in beautiful and inspiring places.
In 2023 we’ll be visiting some amazing and unique parks, both popular and a few of more obscure but incredibly beautiful gems.
Great Basin National Park
Bristlecone pines, mysterious subterranean passages and some of the darkest skies in the United States.
Great Basin lies just off the loneliest road in America. You don’t arrive here by mistake. Want to walk among the 4,000-year-old bristlecone trees that are just a few hundred feet from a spectacular glacier, or around alpine lakes reflecting the snowy mountaintops and the Milky Way? Great Basin reveals its true beauty among its many trails, and we’ll be hiking to experience it.
Great Basin National Park — June 18-24, 2023
New River Gorge National Park
America’s newest national park is ripe with opportunities for photography and outdoor adventures.
Our nation's newest national park, New River Gorge is an adventurer’s paradise. We’ll spend our days whitewater rafting, zip-lining through the treetops, and exploring the area’s natural, railroad and mining history. Then, of course, we'll be shooting in the dark! Timed at the peak of fall foliage, and the tail end of rafting season, this will be a very full week of both day and nighttime activities.
New River Gorge National Park — October 22-27, 2023
Olympic National Park
Majestic mountains, magical rainforests, magnificent coastline. Experience the wonder that is Olympic National Park.
The winner of the National Parks at Night alumni "return to this park" vote! For 6 nights, photograph on the rugged mountains, in the vibrant rainforests and along the pristine coastline of Washington state’s Olympic National Park, one of the most beautiful and diverse national parks in the U.S.
Olympic National Park — September 16-22, 2023
Saguaro National Park
Sonoran nights, desert blossoms and the symbol of the American west.
Deep in the Arizona desert stands a forest of cactus that can reach heights of 60 feet. The distinctive saguaros, silently spreading across the landscape, reach for the stars and the heavens beyond. Barrel, prickly pear and teddybear cholla cactuses also adorn the arid foreground, while foxes and coyotes dart in and out of the moonlight shadows. We'll photograph it all (and more) on 5 spring nights in the Sonoran Desert.
Saguaro National Park — April 4-9, 2023
Virgin Islands National Park
An unparalleled opportunity to explore the beaches, coves, mountains and dark skies of this unique national park in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A workshop on island time, journeying through and photographing Virgin Islands National Park. Pristine shores, tropical forests, and countless historic and prehistoric archeological sites sit under the night skies of the western Atlantic Ocean.
Virgin Islands National Park — November 27-December 3, 2023
Adventure Series
The U.S. has other amazing places to shoot at night outside of national parks, and we like visiting those too. National monuments, national forests, scenic byways, urban ruins and more.
Coming up, the Adventures will include a lighthouses workshop along a famous stretch of Atlantic shore, an ocean island, some amazing desert landscapes, and a couple of inspiring celestial events.
Bannerman Island
Spend an overnight photographing a historic castle in the middle of the Hudson River.
Just 1.5 hours north of New York City rests one of the most impressive ruins in New York state: Bannerman Castle. Built at the turn of the 20th century, it served as an armory, warehouse and mystery to those passing along the Hudson River. This is a rare opportunity to spend the night on an inspirational island and shoot until the dawn breaks the evening sky.
Bannerman Island — August 4 and 5, 2023
Cape Cod Lighthouses
Half a dozen lighthouses, five summer nights, countless New England villages, one amazing national seashore.
The arm of Cape Cod stretches out and up into the Atlantic Ocean, providing a landscape beautiful to view but hazardous to ships for centuries. The lighthouses stand sentinel, guarding these classic New England shores, ready to be photographed under the summer Milky Way.
Cape Cod Lighthouses — August 10-15, 2023
Capitol Reef & the Solar Eclipse
Capture the dark side of the moon with a ring of fire over one of the most stunning landscapes in the U.S.
Capitol Reef is the least-known of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks, yet is stunningly beautiful and aesthetically diverse. And it lies in the path of the 2023 annular solar eclipse! We’ll be there for an opportunity to photograph the eclipse, plus we'll have an entire night photography workshop during a new moon in this International Dark Sky Park.
Capitol Reef Solar Eclipse — October 13-18, 2023
Great Sand Dunes & the Perseids
North America's tallest inland sand dunes and Colorado's dark skies are ideal for experiencing the stunning Perseid Meteor Shower.
Do you dream of creating the holy grail of meteor shower images—a meteor shower radiant composite? Then this is the workshop for you to focus on planning, shooting and editing your own radiant images. Since 2023 should be an amazing year for the Perseids, you’ll likely capture meteors on multiple nights over the largest sand dunes in North America.
Great Sand Dunes & the Perseids — August 10-15, 2023
Monhegan Island
The fishing vessels. The hilltop lighthouse. The clapboard cottages. The spectacular dark skies. All 10 miles from shore on the quaint Monhegan Island.
National Parks at Night returns to Monhegan for a full five-night workshop on one of our favorite Islands. Monhegan is a place that people go back to over and over again. It’s hard to stay away for long. We’ll explore this peaceful oasis entirely on foot, covering subjects such as the local lighthouse, the village, the waterfront cliffs and a nearly century-old shipwreck.
Monhegan Island — July 3-8, 2023
Panorama Intensive: Bryce Canyon
Master night sky panoramas among the hoodoos of the legendary Bryce Canyon.
Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park is pano-licious! We’ll be basing ourselves in this breathtaking landscape, noted for its geologic wonders and wide views, all to focus on learning to create nighttime panoramas. Single-row, multi-row and Milky Way will feel second-nature by the end of 5 nights on the rim and on the floor of the amazing Bryce amphitheater.
Panorama Intensive: Bryce Canyon — May 23-28, 2023
Sloss Furnaces
Step back in time and photograph one of the industrial marvels of the Industrial Age—at night!
The focus of this night photography workshop will be a deep dive into light painting, composition, and black and white photography. Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark is an incredible collection of 20th century metal machinery located on the eastern edge of downtown Birmingham, Alabama. We will use moonlight and light painting to breathe fire back into the furnaces.
Sloss Furnaces — November 16-19, 2023
Voyager Series
As much as the U.S. is beautiful and dynamic, so is the rest of the world. We’re always on the lookout for beautiful landscapes and fascinating cultures to immerse ourselves in, especially in the dark. Over the next two years (we plan these ones a little further out), we’ll be heading to overseas destinations that range from one of the most enigmatic islands in the oceans to a recent mainstay for landscape photographers.
East Greenland Schooner
See icebergs, auroras and arctic wildlife up close on this truly adventurous, sea-based tour.
Experience the extraordinary scenery and Inuit culture of Greenland’s captivating coastline. This trip along the striking and sparsely populated east coast of Greenland will begin and end in the village of Kulusuk, but everything in between will truly be an exploration. Glacier hikes, stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking, and of course photography—you’ll have the opportunity to do all of these and more on one of our grandest adventures yet.
East Greenland Schooner — September 4-13, 2023
Easter Island
Enigmatic Easter Island. At night. Need we say more?
Few places on earth are as mysterious or compelling as Easter Island. The giant stone figures known as moai oversee this remote island 2,200 miles off the coast of Chile. Most of Rapa Nui, as it’s known to the locals, is a national park. Not only is it hard to get to Easter Island, it is notoriously difficult to access the park after the sun goes down. But we will be taking a lucky group of fellow night photographers on this rare opportunity of spending an unforgettable week with the moai.
Easter Island — February 12-19 and 21-28, 2023
Iceland North Coast
Come to the more remote coast of the more remote island, to photograph the sea, the culture and the wild landscapes of northern Iceland.
Each area of Iceland has its own unique character and features. In the north, the massive waterfalls are mostly wide rather than tall, contrasting the tall, narrow ones in the south. The north tends to be colder, and snowier. It’s definitely less crowded. This trip comes at the end of winter, with longer days, and hopefully with a good chance of seeing the aurora above the Arctic Henge.
Iceland North Coast — April 7-17, 2023
Iceland: Snaefellsnes
A pointy peninsula featuring a black church and a perfectly pointy mountain, with a bonus retreat on a special island.
This delightful part of Iceland is located between the capital of Reykjavik and the Westfjords. It’s home to Snæfellsjökull National Park, a twin-peaked volcano and a small glacier. We’ll spend 1 night in Reykjavik, 3 nights on the peninsula, and 2 on Flatey Island, reached by ferry, and then on to the Westfjords, where we’ll spend our last night—unless you stick around for our glamping add-on.
Iceland: Snaefellsnes — August 25-September 1, 2024
Iceland South Coast
The South Coast of Iceland was the first area to be ‘discovered.’ And for good reason. It’s extraordinary.
This is the classic Iceland itinerary, in winter. Following the ring road south from Reykjavik, and eastward along the coast, we’ll photograph the famous waterfalls, horses, basalt towers, lava fields, glacial lagoon and ice beach, and we’ll take a private tour into the ice caves under Iceland’s largest glacier. Oh, and we’ll be aurora hunting every night. Even if you have been there before, there is always something new and unexpected in the volcanic wonderland known as Iceland.
Iceland South Coast — March 11-20, 2023
Iceland: Westfjords
Puffins, herring factories and blueberries, oh my!
The northwest corner of Iceland is a dazzling and deeply indented coastline featuring about 30 fjords, each with different surprises awaiting discovery. We’ll visit the best place in Iceland to see puffins, spend 3 nights in a hotel that once housed herring workers, photograph waterfalls, swim in a geothermal swimming pool and wander some of the most magnificent landscapes you’ll ever see.
Iceland: Westfjords — September 7-14, 2024
Ireland: County Mayo
Explore the best of the west of Ireland on this 8-night tour of County Mayo.
This tour is based in Westport, the charming county town of Mayo, in the middle of Ireland's west coast. From there we’ll make daily excursions to far-flung places such as Achill Island in the north and the edge of Connemara in County Galway to the south. Ruined abbeys, the castles of Mayo’s legendary Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, and deserted-village timescapes all await.
Ireland: County Mayo — June 2-10, 2023
Lofoten Islands
The Lofoten Islands, a majestic mountain archipelago of dramatic landscapes, unspoiled beaches and winter wonderland.
This will be a winter tour focused on photographing the rugged snow-covered mountain islands, dramatic beaches, northern lights, pristine fisherman's huts and untouched beauty of this remote and breathtaking region of the world. March is a perfect time to visit Lofoten—the milder winter temperatures make the overall experience ideal for catching the auroras over a snow-globe winterscape.
Lofoten Islands — March 17-25, 2023
Skills Series
All of the aforementioned workshops and tours focus a lot on exploration. Our Skills Series events focus on learning something specific—still in an inspiring place, but we focus on a precise skill set. Next year in this category we’ll be hosting workshops on shooting with post-production in mind, learning post-production and how to use the best scouting app in the business, PhotoPills.
PhotoPills Bootcamp: Joshua Tree
Star trails. A crescent moonset over the desert. The Milky Way arching across a forest of Joshua trees. Find them all with PhotoPills and create epic photography.
With PhotoPills, your ideas have no bounds. During 5 days and nights of learning, scouting and shooting in California’s Joshua Tree National Park, we’ll explore the ins and outs of one of the most powerful tools a photographer can keep in their pocket. Learn to plan for and capture the Milky Way, sunsets, moonsets, star points, star trails and more in this desert jewel of the park system.
PhotoPills Bootcamp: Joshua Tree — October 10-15, 2023
Post-Processing Intensive: Asheville
Master photography post-production with a week in this artist’s enclave city nestled in North Carolina’s beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.
You’ve spent a lot of time building your camera skills and honing your photographic vision. Now it’s time to take it to the next level. Over 6 days in the heart of the North Carolina mountains, we'll teach all the skills needed to use modern technology to finish our photos, and even to create images that were impossible only a few short years ago.
Post-Processing Intensive: Asheville — June 19-24, 2023
Shoot for the Edit: Sedona
Photographing and processing in a beautiful place: among the most brilliant sandstone formations in the West.
When it comes to night photography, capturing the right information in the field is crucial. Set among the beautiful red rock buttes of Sedona, Arizona, this workshop is designed to teach you how to not only capture all of the necessary exposures in the field but also the art of processing those images to produce your final piece of night art.
Shoot for the Edit: Sedona — September 10-15, 2023
So … Where Will You Go?
There ya go. We’ve laid out the numbers, we’ve laid out the places. All that’s left to do is decide where you’d like to go with us next year and beyond. Dream big. Travel big. Shoot in the dark.
We’d love to see you at a workshop. If not there, then at the Nightscaper Conference or the Night Photo Summit. Or at a trade show, or at a camera club. Or online, sharing ideas on our blog, or stories on Facebook, or photos in Instagram.
Thank you all for being part of our community of intrepid explorers and lifelong learners, and for continuing to partner with us on these amazing nocturnal adventures. We appreciate every one of you.
Now onward … to another year of seizing the night.
