{
  "title": "Dark Sky Places in CO",
  "description": "Certified dark sky places in CO.",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://darkskiesdirectory.com/places/state/CO",
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      "name": "CO",
      "url": "/places/state/CO"
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  "updated": null,
  "data": {
    "code": "CO",
    "places": [
      {
        "slug": "black-canyon-of-the-gunnison-national-park-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Montrose",
        "lat": 38.57981,
        "lng": -107.7437,
        "year_certified": 2015,
        "official_url": "http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/black-canyon-of-the-gunnison-national-park-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "National Park situated in a part of western Colorado."
      },
      {
        "slug": "browns-canyon-national-monument",
        "name": "Browns Canyon National Monument",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Nathrop",
        "lat": 38.77085,
        "lng": -106.11412,
        "year_certified": 2024,
        "official_url": "https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/browns-canyon",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/browns-canyon-national-monument/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "chimney-rock-national-monument",
        "name": "Chimney Rock National Monument",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Pagosa Spring",
        "lat": 37.16451,
        "lng": -107.31405,
        "year_certified": 2025,
        "official_url": "https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/sanjuan/recreation/chimney-rock-national-monument",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/chimney-rock-national-monument/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "crestone-colorado-dark-sky-community",
        "name": "Crestone, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Crestone",
        "lat": 37.99544,
        "lng": -105.69919,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.darkskycrestone.com/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/crestone-colorado-dark-sky-community/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "curecanti-national-recreation-area-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Curecanti National Recreation Area",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Gunnison",
        "lat": 38.45244,
        "lng": -107.36947,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/cure/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/curecanti-national-recreation-area-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "The reservoirs and surrounding lands that make up Curecanti today are a destination for land- and water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains."
      },
      {
        "slug": "dinosaur-national-monument-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Dinosaur National Monument",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Dinosaur",
        "lat": 40.49369,
        "lng": -109.00079,
        "year_certified": 2019,
        "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/dino/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/dinosaur-national-monument-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "florissant-fossil-beds-national-monument-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Florissant",
        "lat": 38.91244,
        "lng": -105.28143,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/flfo/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/florissant-fossil-beds-national-monument-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "The fossils owe their incredible preservation state to the interaction of from the nearby Thirtynine Mile volcanic field with the biology of the lake."
      },
      {
        "slug": "frisco-colorado",
        "name": "Frisco, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Frisco",
        "lat": 37.48693,
        "lng": -109.86246,
        "year_certified": 2026,
        "official_url": null,
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/frisco-colorado/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "golden-gate-canyon-state-park",
        "name": "Golden Gate Canyon State Park",
        "type": "urban",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Golden",
        "lat": 39.83085,
        "lng": -105.4131,
        "year_certified": 2026,
        "official_url": "https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/golden-gate-canyon-state-park",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/golden-gate-canyon-state-park/",
        "notes": "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..."
      },
      {
        "slug": "great-sand-dunes-national-park-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Mosca",
        "lat": 37.79119,
        "lng": -105.61227,
        "year_certified": 2019,
        "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/great-sand-dunes-national-park-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "mile) Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve contains the tallest sand dunes in North America and is located in south-central Colorado."
      },
      {
        "slug": "gunnison-gorge-national-conservation-area",
        "name": "Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Montrose",
        "lat": 38.67164,
        "lng": -107.88248,
        "year_certified": 2024,
        "official_url": "https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/gunnison-gorge-nca",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/gunnison-gorge-national-conservation-area/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "hovenweep-national-monument-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Hovenweep National Monument",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Utah and",
        "lat": 37.38355,
        "lng": -109.07299,
        "year_certified": 2014,
        "official_url": "http://www.nps.gov/hove/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/hovenweep-national-monument-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "The monument’s name means “deserted valley” in the native Western and Southern Numic languages, indicative of its extremely remote, harsh character."
      },
      {
        "slug": "jackson-lake-state-park-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Jackson Lake State Park",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Orchard",
        "lat": 40.38126,
        "lng": -104.0799,
        "year_certified": 2020,
        "official_url": "https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/JacksonLake",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/jackson-lake-state-park-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "Quiet winter months provide hearty wildlife viewers some excellent opportunities to spot the many animals that live here."
      },
      {
        "slug": "kosmos-stargazing-resort-spa",
        "name": "Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa",
        "type": "lodging",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Mosca",
        "lat": 37.65428,
        "lng": -105.78694,
        "year_certified": 2026,
        "official_url": null,
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/kosmos-stargazing-resort-spa/",
        "notes": "The resort offers guided stargazing experiences and astronomy programming that help visitors better understand the cosmos and the importance of protecting dark skies."
      },
      {
        "slug": "lake-fork-earth-and-sky-center-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Lake Fork Earth and Sky Center",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Lake City",
        "lat": 38.03505,
        "lng": -107.31407,
        "year_certified": 2020,
        "official_url": "https://lakecity.com/night-skies/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/lake-fork-earth-and-sky-center-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "They are planning to host stargazing programs for the public in the near future."
      },
      {
        "slug": "mesa-verde-national-park-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Mesa Verde National Park",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Mesa Verde National Park",
        "lat": 37.25378,
        "lng": -108.4556,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/mesa-verde-national-park-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "Today, Mesa Verde preserves exceptionally dark skies thanks to the park’s remote location, dry climate, and high elevation."
      },
      {
        "slug": "norwood-colorado-dark-sky-community",
        "name": "Norwood, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Norwood",
        "lat": 38.13055,
        "lng": -108.2923,
        "year_certified": 2019,
        "official_url": "https://www.norwoodtown.com/dark-sky-advocate-group",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/norwood-colorado-dark-sky-community/",
        "notes": "Its high desert climate and very dry conditions create many days and nights with clear skies."
      },
      {
        "slug": "nucla-and-naturita-colorado-dark-sky-community",
        "name": "Nucla and Naturita, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "320 Main St, Nucla",
        "lat": 38.26943,
        "lng": -108.54787,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.colorado.gov/nucla",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/nucla-and-naturita-colorado-dark-sky-community/",
        "notes": "Human habitation in the vicinity extends back more than 2,000 years, long predating the arrival of European settlers in the mid-nineteenth century."
      },
      {
        "slug": "old-snowmass-colorado",
        "name": "Old Snowmass, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Old Snowmass",
        "lat": 39.33287,
        "lng": -106.99299,
        "year_certified": 2026,
        "official_url": null,
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/old-snowmass-colorado/",
        "notes": "/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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "ridgway-colorado-dark-sky-community",
        "name": "Ridgway, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Ridgway",
        "lat": 38.15277,
        "lng": -107.76173,
        "year_certified": 2020,
        "official_url": "https://townofridgway.colorado.gov/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/ridgway-colorado-dark-sky-community/",
        "notes": "As true as it was in 1890, Ridgway today remains the “Gateway to the San Juan’s”."
      },
      {
        "slug": "top-of-the-pines-dark-sky-park",
        "name": "Top of the Pines",
        "type": "park",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Ridgway",
        "lat": 38.10864,
        "lng": -107.79229,
        "year_certified": 2021,
        "official_url": "https://www.topofthepines.org/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/top-of-the-pines-dark-sky-park/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "town-of-breckenridge-colorado",
        "name": "Town of Breckenridge, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Breckenridge",
        "lat": 39.48259,
        "lng": -106.05069,
        "year_certified": 2025,
        "official_url": "https://www.townofbreckenridge.com/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/town-of-breckenridge-colorado/",
        "notes": "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..."
      },
      {
        "slug": "paonia-colorado",
        "name": "Town of Paonia, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Paonia",
        "lat": 38.87,
        "lng": -107.59257,
        "year_certified": 2024,
        "official_url": "https://www.darkskiespaonia.com/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/paonia-colorado/",
        "notes": "Its high-desert climate provides abundant clear, starry nights, with the Milky Way visible from many backstreets and open spaces throughout town."
      },
      {
        "slug": "trinchera-ranch",
        "name": "Trinchera Ranch",
        "type": "lodging",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "Fort Garland",
        "lat": 37.38901,
        "lng": -105.33678,
        "year_certified": 2025,
        "official_url": "https://trincheraranch.com",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/trinchera-ranch/",
        "notes": "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."
      },
      {
        "slug": "westcliffe-and-silver-cliff-dark-sky-community",
        "name": "Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Colorado",
        "type": "community",
        "country": "US",
        "state_province": "CO",
        "nearest_town": "",
        "lat": 38.13472,
        "lng": -105.46584,
        "year_certified": 2015,
        "official_url": "https://www.darkskiescolorado.org/",
        "source_url": "https://darksky.org/places/westcliffe-and-silver-cliff-dark-sky-community/",
        "notes": "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."
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