Griffith Observatory Public Star Party — June 2026
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June evenings in Los Angeles offer some of the clearest skies of the year before the marine layer returns in July. Typical June targets include Saturn (rings visible), Jupiter (cloud bands and moons), and the globular clusters rising in the southern sky. Griffith's hilltop position at 1,134 feet provides noticeably darker skies than the city streets below. The Observatory building itself opens to the public until 10pm — combine the star party with a visit to the planetarium and Zeiss telescope for a full evening. Parking on the observatory road fills early; arrive before 8pm or take the DASH Observatory shuttle from Los Feliz.
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Griffith Park Disc Golf — Summer Series 2026
The Griffith Park Disc Golf Summer Series runs informal and PDGA-sanctioned competitive rounds on the Griffith Park Disc Golf Course throughout the summer months, one of the most scenically situated disc golf venues in California. The course runs through the hills of Griffith Park with views toward downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood Sign, and the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. The Griffith Park disc golf course is a 9-hole layout on the Ranger Station side of the park with varying terrain, tree-lined fairways, and elevation changes that make it considerably more challenging than flat-ground courses. The summer series draws the consistent Griffith Park playing community — regulars who play the course multiple times per week throughout the season — alongside competitors from the broader LA disc golf circuit. The series format varies by event: some rounds are casual group play with scorecards, others are PDGA-sanctioned B or C-tier events with formal registration and rating implications. The series coordinator posts specific formats and dates through the Los Angeles Disc Golf Club social channels. Griffith Park's disc golf course is accessible from Griffith Park's east entrance on Riverside Drive. Parking in the surrounding Griffith Park lots. The course is free to play outside of tournament registration fees for sanctioned events. All skill levels welcome for casual rounds; competitive rounds have entry fees and division structures.
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Griffith Observatory Public Star Party — July 2026
The Los Angeles Astronomical Society's monthly public star party at Griffith Observatory in July falls during peak summer stargazing season, with long warm evenings and generally excellent sky transparency after the Fourth of July marine layer clears. Volunteer astronomers set up personal telescopes on the lawn below the dome and guide visitors through the summer sky — Saturn, Jupiter, and the Milky Way core are prime targets in July from Griffith's 1,134-foot hilltop position. No tickets or reservations required. The star party is free and open to all. Arrive after sunset on the second Saturday of July and look for the telescope cluster on the west lawn below the main dome. Bring a red-light flashlight if you have one (preserves night vision), comfortable layers for the evening breeze, and curiosity. The Observatory building is open until 10pm concurrently — the Zeiss telescope inside the dome offers additional viewing on clear nights. Parking fills along the Observatory road by dusk; the DASH Observatory shuttle from Los Feliz provides a stress-free alternative. Check griffithobservatory.org for any schedule updates.
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Griffith Observatory Public Star Party — August 2026
August's public star party at Griffith Observatory arrives during one of the year's best months for Southern California stargazing — the Perseid meteor shower peaks in mid-August, and the summer Milky Way core is nearly overhead by midnight. The Los Angeles Astronomical Society sets up volunteer-operated telescopes on the west lawn below the dome, free and open to all visitors on the second Saturday of the month, weather permitting. Peak Perseid dates in August (typically August 11-13) may overlap with this event — check griffithobservatory.org for any special meteor shower programming. Even without meteors, August skies offer Saturn at its best (near opposition), Jupiter rising in the east, and summer deep-sky targets including the Lagoon Nebula and Omega Centauri accessible from Griffith's hilltop. No registration, no fee. Arrive after sunset. The Observatory building is open until 10pm for concurrent planetarium shows and the Zeiss telescope exhibit. Marine layer typically clears the hills by 9pm in August. DASH Observatory shuttle from Los Feliz is the recommended way to arrive if parking is a concern.
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