Joshua Tree National Park in southern California already draws travellers for its otherworldly boulders and spiky namesake trees. But after dark, it becomes something else entirely: one of the most accessible dark-sky playgrounds in the American Southwest, where the Milky Way is clearly visible to the naked eye.
That's the setting for a new episode from Outside Online, in which host Paddy travels to the Reset Hotel — a modern desert property just outside the park — to go stargazing with Dr. Gary Blackwood. Blackwood isn't your average astronomy enthusiast: he spent 36 years at NASA, led the agency's Exoplanet Exploration Program, and has spent much of his career on the hunt for planets beyond our solar system. In other words, an actual alien hunter, in the most scientific sense of the term.
The conversation ranges widely. Blackwood explains why he's convinced we're not alone in the universe, and how modern telescopes can detect the chemical signatures of atmospheres — essentially 'sniffing out' breathing planets across light years of distance. He also talks about NASA's upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory, a future space telescope designed specifically to image Earth-like planets around nearby stars and analyse them for signs of life. There are lighter moments too: a rundown of the Belt of Venus (that pink glow on the horizon just after sunset), a Hurricane Hilary backpacking mishap, a rapid-fire round on quasars versus pulsars, and the first question Blackwood would ask visiting extraterrestrials.
For travellers, the practical hook is the Reset Hotel itself. Part of the Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy, it's a design-forward desert retreat built around the idea of switching off and recalibrating between adventures. It leans into its dark-sky setting with onsite telescope viewing and guided stargazing experiences, so you don't need to bring your own equipment or know your pulsars from your quasars to get something out of a night here.
It's also a glimpse of where nature-based accommodation is heading. Marriott's Outdoor Collection is expanding with more cabins, ecolodges and clear stargazing domes — properties designed to put travellers close to landscapes while keeping hot showers and proper beds in the picture. And because the brand sits within the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty programme, members can earn and redeem points, with experiences like these occasionally available through Bonvoy Moments.
Why does a story like this matter to a holidaymaker? Because dark-sky tourism is booming, and Joshua Tree is one of the easiest places to try it. You get a genuine science experience — learning from someone who actually ran NASA's exoplanet programme — combined with a comfortable base camp for daytime hiking and climbing in the park. Whether you're a space nerd, a couple after an unusual desert escape, or a family wanting to show kids the Milky Way, a night under Joshua Tree's skies with a telescope and a guide is about as memorable as stargazing gets. Just check the lunar calendar before you book: a new moon is your best friend.
