Rules & Regulations

The Table Mountain Star Party Association wants to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for everyone attending the event. Following these rules and regulations will help ensure that everyone at the event can have a great star party experience.

Please read through all of the following:


Duration of the Event

TMSP will begin operations at 9 A.M. on Tuesday, August 8th.

There will be no early arrivals allowed in to the site prior to that time.

All attendees must vacate the site by 3 P.M. on Sunday, August 13th

Eden Valley Ranch is private property and these times are conditions of our lease contract. As such, we have to restrict access to the site as part of our lease agreement.

Persons on Eden Valley property prior to or after the times specified above without authorization from Eden Valley Guest Ranch and/or TMSPA are subject to being removed from the property.


Emergencies

If you have any problems or an emergency, please contact a Director at the Registration Tent, Info Booth or the Stuff Shack, or locate one of the Directors around the site. (Directors are easily recognized by their red shirts.)

Eden Valley is serviced by the local Fire Department for emergency aid, though it may take up to 20 minutes for help to respond. There is a phone at the Lodge that can be used to make 9-1-1 calls.

It would be advisable to bring a basic first aid kit for minor cuts, scrapes and bruises.


Registration Tent Hours

The Registration Tent hours will vary depending on our anticipated attendee arrivals for the day. Times will be posted on the Registration Tent for when it will be open, and it will be open at least an hour before dinner service so that you can pick up your meal tickets if you pre-ordered meals with your registration.


Late Arrivals

We realize that sometimes things happen that delay your travel plans and you may arrive to the site late.

If you arrive after 8:00 P.M., do not expect to be admitted onto the site. If you arrive after dark, PLEASE turn off your headlights! There is an area off the side of Eden Valley Lane just after you turn off Dry Gulch Road into Eden Valley that you can park in for the night. (This area is suitable for cars, but big rigs / RVs will want to stay on the road and check if they can safely park there.)

Expect a Director to meet you if you arrive after 10P.M. - Please follow any instructions they give you.

Anyone ignoring these conditions or the instructions of a Director will be subject to immediate removal from the event.

There are several public and private campgrounds in the Oroville area that you may use if you cannot arrive before 8:00 P.M.


Private Property

Eden Valley Ranch is private property. TMSPA is operating under a lease agreement with Eden Valley Ranch. All attendees will be solely liable for any damages, intentional or accidental, they inflict on the property. TMSPA reserves the right to involve local law enforcement agencies as it deems necessary under the auspices of its lease with Eden Valley Ranch.


Eden Valley Guest Lodge

The interior of the Guest Lodge building is NOT a public space for use by TMSP attendees. You are free to gather and use the exterior of the building during the day.

The Lodge is the residence of the ranch owners and we ask that you respect their privacy by not intruding on the Lodge area during our Quiet Hours.


Vehicles and Driving

The roads in and around the site are well-maintained dirt/gravel and have a posted speed limit of 10 MPH.  Please limit your speed to a crawl.  No one wants to have his or her telescope covered with dust just because you are in a hurry.

Driving in the dark is dangerous and can harm or even kill someone.  Only in cases of extreme emergency will we allow any vehicle to move around the site after dark.


Parking and Camping Sites

All vehicles will be directed to a parking location designated by the TMSPA parking staff.  We must manage the vehicles crossing over grass areas, so you will need to follow the directions of the parking staff at all times.

There are LIMITED in-and-out privileges. If you will be making daily excursions in your vehicle, we ask that you drive onto the site once to set up your camp and then park your vehicle in an area designated by TMSPA; ask at the Registration Tent or Info Booth as to where you can park your vehicle.

Camping is on a first come - first served basis.  The parking staff will determine the amount of space for each site. Saving space between camping areas is not allowed unless approved by a Director. Please keep your campsite footprint as small as possible. There is a limited amount of space available to use for the event in which we must accomodate all the attendees. Camping spaces that are staked and flagged are designed to accommodate TWO vehicles and campsites unless otherwise specified by a Director or member of the parking staff.


Tent Stakes and Metal Objects

The main camping area is a working field and the grass is cut regularly by Eden Valley. Tent stakes or other metal objects left on the field could seriously damage the farm equipment, causing thousands of dollars of damage. We have been specifically requested to ensure that any tent stakes or other metal objects be removed from the area after the event. Please do your part to assist us with this and police up any stakes or other metal objects in your area when you pack up.


Fires and Cooking

NO FIRES!!!    The only acceptable cooking sources are propane grills, and propane or white gas cook stoves.

Eden Valley is private property and a working ranch, and our event generates a high density of people that would be difficult to evacuate in a fire emergency.  For these reasons, no fires are permitted anywhere on site.  This includes cooking fires, traditional wood fires and charcoal briquettes.  No fuel source that creates embers, coals or ashes may be used.


Smoking & Vaping

Please respect your fellow attendees when smoking or vaping. Cigarettes are to be disposed of in fireproof containers. If fire danger conditions in the area are extremely high, smoking may be restricted to only being allowed in your vehicle or a designated "safe" area by Eden Valley or TMSPA.


Lighting restrictions

***** Red Light Only after 10:00 P.M. *****

No white lights of any kind are allowed after 10:00 P.M. Violation of this rule will likely result in your being chastised by your fellow astronomers.

If you see white lights after 10:00 P.M. please be polite and ask that they be extinguished - this is not an excuse for you to issue a yelling tirade at the offender! If you are unable to resolve the issue, locate a Director and let us handle the situation.

All vehicle headlights, parking lights, tail and brake lights must remain extinguished at all times unless you are moving your vehicle under the direction of the parking staff or a Director.

Please do not arm your car alarm system during the event, particularly at night. Thefts are extremely rare at TMSP, and while we want you to take any precautions you deem necessary to protect your valuables, having your car alarm go off at 3am is not very endearing to your fellow campers.

RV, trailer, and camper lights MUST remain extinguished unless there is proper shielding installed on all windows and doors, or red covers are on lighting fixtures.

Coleman-style lanterns or outdoor lighting of any type is NOT allowed.

Equip all flashlights with red filters and keep them pointed at the ground.  Keep your flashlights to a maximum of two D-cell sizes or smaller.  Larger lights, even LED lights or lights with red gel, produce too much intensity and can ruin dark-adapted sight.


Quiet Hours

Quiet Hours are from midnight to 10:00 A.M. Please respect your fellow campers and observers. Minimize your noise impact by keeping conversations hushed, music turned down or off, and any other source of noise down during this time.


Generators

Generator noise and fumes intrude on your neighbor's enjoyment of the outdoors.  For that reason, generators can only be used from 10:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.M. regardless of where you are camped. Generators should have adequate spark-arrestors and be situated in locations away from combustible materials.

If you have a medical condition that requires generator use outside of the times allowed, please contact a Director for permission before operating your generator.

TMSPA and official services generators are exempt from this rule, however they will be in approved locations with adequate sound dampening installed.


Music

Please respect your neighbors and fellow viewers by keeping your music volume at a level that is not intrusive.


Laser Pointers

Due to the increased popularity of these devices and the safety concerns of our attendees, we have instituted a total ban of laser pointers of any color at TMSP.  Collimation lasers are okay to use but care should be taken to not inadvertently affect someone's vision.

The only exception will be OFFICIAL TMSP use for Sky Tours or Identification programs.  These programs will be conducted in specific areas only and will be concluded by Midnight.


Drones, RC aircraft, et al

Operation of drones or other remote-controlled vehicles must be approved by TMSP Directors. We have had issues the past few years with drones flying over the livestock areas causing concern with the Eden Valley staff.


Garbage, Porta-Potties, Wastewater

A dumpster is provided for your convenience.  Please use it.  You can help avoid higher costs by refraining from throwing away recyclable materials and taking them home with you.  If you must throw away boxes or plastic jugs, please flatten them as much as possible.

We request that you keep your camping area litter-free and that you sweep your site for garbage prior to leaving. This keeps our impact on the site as minimal as possible.

Please do not put trash, animal waste, diapers, feminine hygene products or other inappropriate items in the Porta-Potties.

There is an RV dumping station at Lake Osoyoos Park with a $5 dump fee. There is no dumping of your RV gray tanks on-site.  Dumping gray or black water in the Porta-Potties is not allowed either.  Illegal dumping will result in your being removed from the event.


Pets

Please leave your pets at home if at all possible.  Loose roaming animals can cause damage to the equipment on site. If you absolutely must bring you pet, it must be leashed at all times while outside. Do not leave your animal unattended, even if it is on a leash.

Pets are not allowed on the south side of the road near the Lodge House. This is a specific request from Eden Valley.

Pets staked on leashes must be contained within the footprint of your campsite such that they cannot access the "public" areas such as the telescope field or onto a road.

Pet owners must pick up after their pets in all areas of site. No one wants to step in a mess caused by your pet in the middle of the night.

DO NOT USE THE PORTA-POTTIES FOR ANIMAL WASTE DISPOSAL. Bag it and put it in the garbage, please.


Bicycles

Bicycles can raise dust and there is a very high concentration of expensive equipment around that can potentially be damaged.  For these reasons, there is no riding allowed in the main camping areas. Please walk you bike to the road for your ride.

If you wish to bring and ride your bicycle, there are many roads and trails to explore in the Eden Valley area.


Commercial Displays / Vending

Our lease specifically indicates that no selling of any type may take place on site without the proper registration.  This means that if you wish to sell any product you must register as a Vendor and pay all appropriate registration fees.  Vendors may set up in the designated area only with prior TMSPA approval.  Absolutely no displaying or selling of wares is permitted outside the confines of the Vendor area.  If you do not register as a vendor and wish to sell items, the only place and time you may do so is in the Swap Meet on Saturday morning.


Anything not specifically covered under these rules will fall to the discretion of the TMSP Directors to adjudicate resolution.