Few people can resist the allure of stargazing on a beautiful night, when you can feel the universe stretch infinitely before you and enjoy a Milky Way that isn’t covered in chocolate.

Everyone knows that you need really dark skies, away from light pollution, to see the stars most clearly. But another crucial factor is dry air, because the atmosphere is thinner, allowing you to see farther. And, of course, clear skies, with no cloud cover.

That’s why desert sites tend to be the best for stargazing, especially at higher altitudes where the air is even thinner. It’s also nice to have a 360 degree panorama, so you can see the most sky.

And note that, right now, Perseid meteor showers are flaming through the night sky until Aug. 24, with colorful flare displays nightly. Its peak is Aug. 11-13. (Try to avoid Aug. 18, when the full moon will interfere with your viewing.)

You might miss the meteor showers, but all national parks will be free to visit four days, Aug. 25-28, so still a good chance to get in some free stargazing.

Here are some affordable places to go only a short drive away.

Joshua Tree National Park

Only two hours away, stargazers flock to Joshua Tree for its dark, clear skies. Sadly, the San Bernardino County supervisors aren’t doing what they should to protect the dark skies here, despite pleas from locals, but it’s still a great accessible place to go, especially for special events like meteor showers, which attract visitors from the entire region.

Joshua Tree’s Night Sky Festival this year will be held Oct. 28-30, bringing together astronomy buffs, scientists, artists and more. And note that the isolated Joshua Tree Lake RV Campground, out on the flat terrain north of town, offers a series of “Astronomy Arts Theater” nights for only $5. Check their website or sign up for advance notice.

Lodging: My favorite affordable place to stay is the Pioneertown Motel in nearby Pioneertown, which also has the advantage of being next to a great roadhouse. I also like the Travelodge Inn in adjacent Yucca Valley, which used to be the Yucca Inn. Simple but decent. Cheapest options in town include the High Desert Motel and the Safari Motor Inn, both of which are clean but very basic. Beware of getting a room next to Marines from the nearby 29 Palms marine base, who occasionally rent rooms to party. Love you, Marines, but you party too hard.

Camping: I once arrived at a site in the Black Rock area late at night, only to find campers with a huge telescope already there, waiting to watch a meteor shower. They grumpily moved on after I pointed out their telescope was parked on the space I needed to pitch my tent. You can reserve two different campgrounds here in advance – Black Rock and Indian Cove – up to six months in advance at Recreation.gov. Winter and spring reservations are essential. Other park campgrounds are first come, first served, but don’t show up on Friday night expecting to get a spot.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

These parks are internationally recognized for their stargazing, and even have an annual night skies festival presented by the National Parks Service, including viewings with telescopes, constellation tours, activities for kids, model rocket building, nature walks and more. This year’s festival is over, but check back for next August.

Meanwhile, the Wuksachi Lodge is a good spot for stargazing, and is co-sponsoring events including a free “Wonders of the Night Sky” event on Aug. 17, 19, 20, 24, 25 and 27 that includes stories about the constellations and guided viewing. Show up at the lodge lobby at 9 p.m., it’s not limited to lodge guests. Visit their website.

I also like the modest, rustic family-friendly Montecito Sequoia Lodge outside the park, where rates include three meals a day and activities too.

Death Valley National Park

This isolated desert park is one of the best places for stargazing in the United States. In fact, it was the third park ever designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association.

You probably don’t want to go in summer, when it’s often 120 degrees, but in winter and spring, park rangers hold moon and star programs, including setting up telescopes on dark nights when there’s little moon.

There’s a free Star Party coming up Oct. 28-29 at the Furnace Creek Inn, in partnership with the Las Vegas and Ventura County astronomical societies. You don’t have to be a guest to enjoy. Their winter Star Party is scheduled for Jan. 27-28, if you want to stay at the inn, reserve now.

Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles

This free observatory in Griffith Park hosts free public star parties monthly from 2 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Note that the city lights of Los Angeles below hamper the stargazing, so you’re not going to see an amazing show with the naked eye, but astronomy buffs set up telescopes where the whole family can see interesting astronomical objects and planets. Get there early to get in line. Upcoming star parties are Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Nov. 5 and Dec. 10. And, of course, the observatory has interesting exhibits and programs every day. Most things are free, planetarium shows cost a few bucks. Learn more: griffithobservatory.org.

Outside of California

Want to stargaze in other locations?

We saw some great meteor showers in New Mexico, where the thin air makes for great viewing. The Chaco Culture National Historical Park might be the most interesting place you never heard of, we’ve been there three times. Not only is it an ancient archeological site, but it has an astronomical observatory and numerous viewing parties throughout the year, including at each equinox. Learn more: Call 505-786-7014 or visit Nps.gov/chcu/planyourvisit/nightsky.htm

And Utah has several certified IDA Dark Sky Parks, including Canyonlands and Capitol Reef national parks, Dead Horse Point State Park, Natural Bridges National Monument and Weber County North Fork Park.

Got a good travel tip for me? Or a suggestion? Email me at mfisher@ocregister.com. I love to hear from readers.