Torrance Barrens Dark-Sky Preserve

I camped at this crown land twice this summer. This place is great not just because of the night sky experience but also because of the geological significance, with the precambrian shield forming billions years ago. I really enjoyed the early morning hiking because it was so peaceful and quiet. I heard that it gets very busy on the weekends so i went on the weekdays, fortunately didn't run into anybody, and camped on mossy lake. The no camping rule only applies to the area near the parking lot, but this place is pretty big and you can easily find a secluded area within the reserve.

An amazing spot. Unfortunately it's a victim of its own popularity. On a Saturday night with reports of possibly seeing the northern lights, literally hundreds of people converged on this small spot. The majority of whom did not understand the significance or concept of a dark sky preserve.

Fantastic area - went last night with some friends for the Perseids Meteor Shower. Even on a cloudy night, the glimpses we got were amazing. Finding a spot to sit/set up a telescope was easy, the treeline wasn't a problem, it was a great night! Be sure to bring some good walking shoes, as you'll be walking over a lot of bare Canadian Shield rock. Also, remember to keep your flashlights pointed down if you need one, as it takes ~20 minutes for your eyes to get used to the dark.

This place is on scenic Southwood road (road # 13). There is no towns or cities around this place. That is why this place is so good to come for camping and watch night sky. Stars are so bright here. Nature is very unusual and beautiful here. I love spend time here.

This is the second time we have been here and it is amazing for viewing the stars. I am giving only three stars as the crowds made it less enjoyable. We were there on the July 1st holiday weekend. The amount of people walking around with flashlights, lighting campfires, setting up tents (with multiple flashlights), and generally not respecting the darkness and quiet that can make this place so spectacular took a lot away from the experience. I recommend going when there are less crowds. We ended up walking back to our car down the road from the main area to get a better view.