Colorado’s growth has brought a lot of good: booming industry, bustling cities, countless microbreweries. One downside? Light pollution now muddies our views of the cosmos. Consequently, prime star-spotting locales have become treasured commodities. To guide travelers to these increasingly rare celestial lookouts, seven small towns, including Creede, La Veta, and Crestone, partnered with the Colorado Tourism Office to create an addition to CTO’s website. Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night premiered in February and provides tools such as moon-phase calendars and a list of events—like the inaugural Sangre Star Festival, a June camp-out in Westcliffe complete with night hikes and lectures from a deep-space photographer and other guests—that enhance tourists’ viewing. The site posts attractions for each town and links to daytime activities, ensuring you find new things to do under the sun, too.

 

5280 April 2020
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Editor’s note: This article appeared in the April issue of 5280, which went to press before COVID-19 became the biggest story in recent memory. As such, some events and dates listed may now be out of date. For more on how 5280 is shifting coverage during this time, read Editorial Director Geoff Van Dyke’s editor’s note.