Stay Up Late and Admire the Cosmos With This New ‘Stargazing Trail’ That Links Certified Dark Sky Destinations

The initiative debuts as Colorado gears up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its statehood

Sarah Kuta | Daily Correspondent

June 12, 2026 5:29 p.m.

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Colorado is well-known for its daytime outdoor adventures, from hiking and mountain biking to fly fishing and skiing. But the state also dazzles after dark, with inky-black skies that provide crystal-clear views of the cosmos.

Now, the Centennial State is linking some of its darkest places with a new “stargazing trail.” Officials announced the route this month, inviting travelers to stay up late and continue exploring long after sunset.

Colorado has 13 International Dark Sky Parks and eight International Dark Sky Communities—and dozens of additional sites are working to achieve the designations, which come from the nonprofit DarkSky International. The new map connects those places while also spotlighting stargazing events and activities across the state, from dark sky train rides to beer-themed astronomy tours. The initiative also promotes Colorado stargazing venues and businesses.

“I see it as an enhancement to those communities, that if you’re in that location, and then you do a search that you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m really close to this dark sky. Let’s go ahead and do this,’” Tim Wolfe, director of the Colorado Tourism Office, tells KUNC’s Rachel Cohen.

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The new trail makes its debut as Colorado gears up to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its statehood in August as well as the nation’s 250th birthday by hosting a variety of exhibitions, events, festivals and community celebrations.

“The timing just worked out perfect that we can launch this at the same time as our birthday,” Wolfe tells the Aspen Times’ Andrea Teres-Martinez.

Light pollution is a growing problem around the world. The night sky got 9.6 percent brighter, on average, per year between 2011 and 2022 due to the proliferation of artificial lighting. But artificial light doesn’t just wash out our views of the night sky—it can also have negative effects on both humans and animals.

Moths, for example, can congregate around street lights to the point of exhaustion, while sea turtle hatchlings can die after becoming disoriented by artificial lighting near the shore. And research has linked light pollution to numerous human health problems, from sleep disorders and depression to obesity and diabetes.

In Colorado, however, many destinations are remote and located far from urban areas, so there’s less light pollution to obscure the view of the stars. Some are even further protected by towering mountain ranges, which help block the glow from nearby cities and interstates.

In recent years, many Colorado communities have also been trying to further limit their light pollution, such as by installing shields on light fixtures to prevent their glow from radiating up. The Colorado Tourism Office and other partners have been supporting those efforts, offering more than 1,400 hours of technical assistance in 32 counties, according to the announcement.

“This isn’t about turning lights out. This is about smart lighting,” Deb Stueber, who advocated for dark sky efforts in the neighboring towns of Nucla and Naturita in far western Colorado, told KUSA’s Marc Sallinger in 2021. “Light that reflects up into space doesn’t really help you light up what you’re trying to see down here on Earth. If you control light pollution, you save energy, you save carbon, you protect wildlife, human health.”

Beyond those reasons, some residents of rural communities are supportive of the state’s dark sky push in part because they’re concerned about losing their “pioneer heritage,” Bob Grossman, a retired atmospheric scientist who helped lead the push in the town of Norwood, told the Denver Post’s Bruce Finley in 2021.

“If a big new development shows up right next to you and starts turning up lights uncontrolled, you’re not going to like it and your cows are not going to like it,” Grossman said.

Many of Colorado’s dark sky destinations are located high above sea level and have relatively dry climates. Those conditions can make it easier for Earth-bound observers to see stars, planets and other celestial bodies, especially on nights without a full moon.

“If you hit that timing right, you can see the entire Milky Way like a stripe across the sky,” Wolfe tells the Aspen Times. “I haven’t seen anything that truly puts it in perspective. … [Photos] don’t do it justice.”

Sarah Kuta | Read More

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.