Dark Sky Places in CO

Park

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

National Park situated in a part of western Colorado.

Park

Browns Canyon National Monument

Ranging between 7,300 feet and 10,000 feet in elevation, the monument offers astonishing views of central Colorado’s Arkansas Valley and the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains.

Park

Chimney Rock National Monument

Night sky programming is held after regular visiting hours on every other Friday of the month, as well as on nights where astronomical phenomena are predicted to be visible.

Community

Crestone, Colorado

The small village sits at the foot of the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in the northern part of the adjacent San Luis Valley.

Park

Curecanti National Recreation Area

The reservoirs and surrounding lands that make up Curecanti today are a destination for land- and water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains.

Park

Dinosaur National Monument

Owing to the Monument’s remote location, high elevation, and low humidity, enjoying Dinosaur National Monument’s starry night skies today is like stepping back in time.

Park

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

The fossils owe their incredible preservation state to the interaction of from the nearby Thirtynine Mile volcanic field with the biology of the lake.

Community

The first American and European men to come through this area were known as “mountain men” who trapped beaver for their fur in the high mountain lakes from 1810 into the 1840s.The 1870s ushered in the mining industry, inspiring Frisco’s founding in 1873.

Urban

Golden Gate Canyon State Park

With elevation ranging from 7,600 to over 10,000 feet, the topographical landscape features of GGCSP help block any light dome from the Denver metropolitan area only an hour away providing dark skies that are accessib...

Park

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

mile) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve contains the tallest sand dunes in North America and is located in south-central Colorado.

Park

Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area

The area’s dry climate and moderate elevation, ranging from 5,000 to 8,000 feet, contribute to consistently dark skies, with an average sky quality reading of 21.38 magnitudes per square arc-second.

Park

Hovenweep National Monument

The monument’s name means “deserted valley” in the native Western and Southern Numic languages, indicative of its extremely remote, harsh character.

Park

Jackson Lake State Park

Quiet winter months provide hearty wildlife viewers some excellent opportunities to spot the many animals that live here.

Lodging

Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa

The resort offers guided stargazing experiences and astronomy programming that help visitors better understand the cosmos and the importance of protecting dark skies.

Park

Lake Fork Earth and Sky Center

They are planning to host stargazing programs for the public in the near future.

Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Today, Mesa Verde preserves exceptionally dark skies thanks to the park’s remote location, dry climate, and high elevation.

Community

Norwood, Colorado

Its high desert climate and very dry conditions create many days and nights with clear skies.

Community

Nucla and Naturita, Colorado

Human habitation in the vicinity extends back more than 2,000 years, long predating the arrival of European settlers in the mid-nineteenth century.

Community

Old Snowmass, Colorado

/h3> Situated at an elevation of approximately 7,500 feet, Old Snowmass is a rural mountain enclave defined by its prehistoric roots, ranching heritage, and expansive open spaces.

Community

Ridgway, Colorado

As true as it was in 1890, Ridgway today remains the “Gateway to the San Juan’s”.

Park

Top of the Pines

Sneffels Range and Wilderness in the northern San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado, it is close to the mountain towns of Ouray, Ridgway, and Telluride.

Community

Town of Breckenridge, Colorado

Its high-elevation environment supports a rich array of wildlife — including bears, moose, foxes, hummingbirds, and owls — and provides opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and stargazing d...

Community

Town of Paonia, Colorado

Its high-desert climate provides abundant clear, starry nights, with the Milky Way visible from many backstreets and open spaces throughout town.

Lodging

Trinchera Ranch

Far from city lights, the ranch’s remote location provides unobstructed views of the night sky, where stargazers can witness the Milky Way arching overhead in brilliant clarity.

Community

Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado

The combined total population of the contiguous towns was 1,155 at the time of the 2010 Census, spread over 43.3 km2 of land in Custer County.