Colorado’s night sky sparkles

Milky Way over the dunes

credit NPS.gov / Patrick Myers

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is the latest Colorado location to receive a Dark Sky Park designation, making it one of four International Dark Sky Places in the state and 115 in the world. This official designation comes soon after Dinosaur National Monument – located on the Colorado and Utah border – was recognised earlier this year. While up to 500 stars can be seen in urban environments, it is possible to see more than 15,000 stars in some dark sky areas. Here’s five of the top spots for stargazing in Colorado:

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Dry air, little light pollution and high elevation are the key ingredients for viewing a bright moon and thousands of stars, which has earned this national park its recent Dark Sky Park title. With the mystical setting of towering dunes framed by a mountainous backdrop, this Southern Colorado spot is a hub for activity in the dark, whether this be dunes exploration under a bright full moon, viewing thousands of stars on a clear moonless night, listening for owls along the foothills or observing migrating amphibians on a wet night. For those wanting to spend the night under canvas, several campgrounds are located within 40 miles of the park. One mile north of the visitors centre is National Park Service operatedPinon Flats Campground open April – October, or privately-owned, mobile phone-free Zapata Falls Campground is open year-round with views over the dunes from 9,000 ft elevation. Travellers can also stay at Zapata Ranch, a working bison and cattle ranch located a few miles south of Great Sand Dunes National Park, which has front row seats for stargazing from the comfort of the cosy lodge after a day trail riding across the dunes.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

credit @blackcanyonnps (Facebook)

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park 

Colorado’s first national park to be designated as an International Dark Sky Park, Black Canyon offers night sky viewing opportunities throughout the year. Rangers, astronomers and astrophotographers present evening talks followed by night sky viewing with telescopes every Wednesday and Friday night until the end of September and on specific dates throughout the winter. The canyon was carved around 2.5 million years ago and the sheer, marbled walls are among Colorado’s most distinctive landmarks, bordered by the vast open spaces of western Colorado, near Montrose and Gunnison.

Ouray

Tucked in the South West corner of Colorado and surrounded by the San Juan Mountains, the historic mining town of Ouray provides travellers with an adventure playground by day and hot spring pools to kick back in at night as the stars put on a show. Those looking to enjoy stargazing remotely should head to elevated locations away from the centre, such as Ouray overlook or from one of the many surrounding abandoned mines, including Ironton, one of the easiest ghost towns to reach (9 miles south of Ouray on the San Juan Skyway) with several original buildings providing a solitary setting under a star-studded sky.

Petroglyph rock art set against dark sky at 

Dinosaur National Monument credit NPS.gov

Dinosaur National Monument

This gem in the far northwest of the state became an International Dark Sky Park earlier this year due to its “exceptional natural darkness”. The park hosts ranger programmes and night hikes to get visitors deep into the darkest spots, with several prime locations to view the night sky with either the naked eye or telescopes. This new recognition adds to Dinosaur Monument’srenowned white water rafting, Fremont culture rock art and incredibly preserved dinosaur fossils.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

See the stars align – both on-stage and above – during an outdoor music concert at this all-natural red rock amphitheatre, which has a summer concert series lasting until October. Away from the concert venue, this 868-acre Denver Mountain Park is a beautiful place to spend an evening stargazing, with the city lights of Denver sparkling in the distance yet the solitude of a mountain setting.

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