The Idaho Star Party will run Friday, August 21 through the morning of Sunday, August 23.  The Idaho Star Party will have our serious viewing on Friday and Saturday Evening, after the other events.  Cleanup will happen as soon as people roll out of their sleeping bags on Sunday morning, around 10:30 A.M. Checkout for the campgrounds is 12:00 P.M. 

On Saturday there will be the Star-b-que. Last year the food committee cooked up an exultant meal. More information will be available as we get closer to the Star Party.

For restaurant dining, Mountain Home (25 minutes from the park) offers a variety of options from fast food to sitdown restaurants.

Broken Wheel is the oldest of the camp sites and the farthest from the Star Party activities. This section has trees for shade and many viewing obstructions. Reservations for these sites must be made through the Bruneau Dunes State Park web site.

The Boise Astronomical Society board has reserved all Eagle Cove Loop A campsites and both cabins for ISP 2008, August 21 and 22. We will be releasing these campsites to members starting at our February 13th meeting. Campsites and cabins must be paid for at this meeting, so bring cash or check (BAS has already paid for them in order to make the reservations). All of these cabins and campsites are reserved for a minimum of two nights, Aug 21 & 22 -if you plan to arrive earlier, let us know and we can extend your reservation. Each cabin for the two nights is $106.00 total-this includes a $10 reservation fee plus sales tax. Each campsite is $53 total for the two nights, including reservation fee and tax.

The third option is Eagle Cove Loop B. These sites are as close to the Pavilion as Loop A and provide good open viewing. They must be reserved through the Bruneau Dunes State Park web site.

You can prepare in a number of ways to help you and everybody else get the most out of the ISP. There are a few things that you should definitely remember, and a couple of others that will be helpful to forget - here's a short list:

Do Bring (things that can ruin your good time to be without):

• Mosquito Repellent
• Sunscreen
• Drinking Water (Water is plentiful at the campground and observatory, but be sure to have some for any outings that you may take. Hydration is an important consideration in planning events at Bruneau.)
• A sweatshirt and a warm jacket (It can get downright chilly at night!)
• A small flashlight with a red filter (Red cellophane will be provided if you don't have a filter... just ask at the Registration tent.)

Do Not Bring (things that can ruin other's good times to be with):

• Dogs that are not 100% under your control at all times
• Coleman lanterns (bright lights damage night vision for viewers)
• Large or unfiltered flashlights (same as above)
• Anything that makes excessive noise between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. These include generators and radios. Our goal is to provide a peaceful environment during the prime observing and sleeping hours.

Anyone coming from Glenns Ferry and points east will want to get off on exit 112, the Hammett exit, turn on to Idaho 78 westbound near the center of town. In about 16 miles be on the lookout for the Bruneau Dunes sign. If you get to the stop sign and Idaho 51 you have gone two miles too far.

A more detailed map is available in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.

If you don't have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it here: