Named for astronaut and Ohio senator John Glenn, this astronomy park opened in June 2018 with a mission to bring dark-sky stargazing to the public — and it delivers on that mission at a scale few similar facilities match. A 28-inch telescope in a roll-off roof observatory, weekly guided programs staffed by knowledgeable volunteers, and some of the darkest skies remaining in Ohio — all free, all within Hocking Hills State Park.
Location and Access
JGAP sits at 20294 State Route 664, just 0.9 miles west of the Old Man's Cave Visitor Center. The park was built by the Friends of Hocking Hills State Park, who raised over $1 million for construction and continue operating the facility on a budget of under $25,000 per year — an extraordinary ratio of public impact to operating cost.
The park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round for independent stargazing with personal equipment. The observing pads, seating areas, and sky viewing infrastructure are always accessible. The observatory building with the 28-inch telescope is open only during guided programs.
Guided Programs
Free guided programs run on clear Friday and Saturday nights from early March through late November. Programs begin approximately 30 minutes after sunset and run 2–3 hours depending on conditions and interest. Volunteers operate the 28-inch telescope and smaller portable telescopes, pointing out planets, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies while explaining the astronomy behind what you are seeing.
A free parking pass is required for all program nights — register at registration.jgap.org. Capacity is limited to 70 cars per night. Popular events (Perseid meteor shower, planetary conjunctions, the Regulus occultation) fill quickly — register as soon as dates are announced. No programs run December through February, though independent use continues year-round.
2026 Program Highlights
March 20–21: Spring equinox — sun tower alignment demonstration at 7:30 PM.
April 25: Special event — Regulus occultation by the Moon at approximately 7:15 PM. A rare naked-eye event where the Moon passes directly in front of the bright star Regulus.
June 19–20: Summer solstice window alignment at 8:45 PM.
August: Perseid meteor shower viewing — consistently the most popular annual event. Peak rates of 50–100 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.
Programs continue weekly through November covering planets, galaxies, deep-sky objects, and seasonal celestial events. Check jgap.info for the full schedule.
Why Hocking Hills for Stargazing
Ohio is one of the most light-polluted states in the country. The major metropolitan areas — Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron — generate a glow that is visible for 50+ miles. Hocking Hills sits in a relative dark-sky pocket: the forested ridges block ambient light, the nearest significant town (Logan, pop. ~7,000) generates minimal pollution, and the deep gorges naturally shade the viewing areas from horizon light.
The result is a site where the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye on clear nights — something that is genuinely impossible from most of Ohio. The 28-inch telescope reveals objects that would be invisible through suburban scopes twice its size because the sky background is dark enough for faint objects to emerge.
Plan Your Trip
Stay after dark. Book a ridge-top cabin for stargazing from your hot tub.