Bluff Creek Park has been recommended to Pamela and me as a possible alternative to Windsurfer for club events.
Bluff Creek Park is at Hefner and Meridian, just north of the Lake Hefner Dam. Very close to Windsurfer. The open field is about 10-15 acres and has good sky clearance in all directions. We need to see if they enforce the 11pm curfew with a locked gate. But there are no street lights. It has clean porta-potties, a fountain, pavilions, and lots of trails if you want to take a walk.
I checked it out before dark and it looks like it would be a very good location for club events! Among other things, it’s quieter, I think it will be darker, probably a lot less windy!
I think I will start going there for my personal viewing. Though further away from my house, I think it will be better than where I like to go on Lake Oversholser! A decent sized parking lot is very close, but it looks like we can also park right next to the field where we’d set up.
Please let Pamela and me know what you think about us moving our club events that we now hold at Windsurfer, at Bluff Creek instead!
I think I have been there before. If I recall correctly, it is at a lower elevation that blocks the view to the south quite a lot. If that is of no concern, then it probably would be a good place. Just not sure about traffic public events.
Very dark, great fields of views, gate not locked at midnight. I think we definitely need to move our events there if we can. The exception may be First Friday, since we’ve been spreading the word it will be at Hefner. Otherwise I love it.
The dam won’t be an issue. If anything, the trees to the west will probably block more of the view than the 3 other directions. But even that is not bad.
It was clear tonight. If I’d had my scopes with me I would probably still be there.
Drove through Bluff Creek Park today and it looks like a nice location. I think Windsurfer will still give you a better view of the Sunset and any Planets setting in the West. I think we could try it out on one of our Novice nights to see how it works out.
I agree on the next Novice Night. I’ve been there several times now, and yes, the horizon is better at Windsurfer, but the viewing that close to the horizon is not that good due to all the atmosphere you’re looking though. My EA scopes don’t recommend anything below 20 deg, and that’s visible at Bluff Creek.
I go out there when I’m free, and the weather is good. Often at short notice. I post those trips here on the forum, and on our Discord channel. I try to post a day or two in advance if the forecast is good, but sometimes I’ll post in the afternoon that I’m going out that evening.
I call these “Impromptu Viewing” events, so look for that in the title of the post. They won’t all be at Bluff Creek, but most probably will be. It’s the best spot for viewing I’ve found in the Metro area. (If anyone knows of a better spot, please let the rest of us know!)
I have not copyrighted the term “Impromptu Viewing,” so anyone planning on going somewhere and would like company, please post on here that you’re going and most likely someone will join you! Feel free to include Impromptu Viewing in the title and hopefully everyone will know what you mean.
Bluff Creek is much darker than Windsurfer, Windsurfer has more open views. I have trouble finding anything at Windsurfer beyond the most obvious things, but the trees interfere with comet viewing at Bluff Creek. 6 of one half dozen of the other