Program Summary

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and DarkSky Colorado have partnered together to support state parks interested in advancing strategies that help achieve International Dark Sky Place (IDSP) certification and enhance Colorado’s visitor experience. Up to 10 state parks will be selected to participate.

In alignment with the CTO's newly unveiled Destination Stewardship Strategic Plan, the State Park Dark Sky Certification Mentor Program emphasizes sustainable travel practices that protect Colorado's natural resources and cultural heritage. By promoting dark sky preservation, this program supports the CTO’s commitment to balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship and enhancing the quality of life for both residents and visitors.

Participants in the Colorado State Parks Dark Sky Certification Mentor program will receive 20 hours of free consulting, webinars, and toolkits from DarkSky Colorado to implement activities that reduce light pollution and protect access to Colorado’s incredible night skies. Additionally, Colorado Parks & Wildlife provided sky quality meter equipment to all FY25 program participants who do not already have them on hand. Successful implementation will increase Colorado’s competitive edge as a destination and provide a wealth of benefits for Colorado parks and their neighboring communities.

Program objectives include:

Preservation of night sky resource and cultural heritage
Enhanced visitor opportunities to experience and learn about natural night skies
Increased awareness of the value of natural night skies and their benefit to local wildlife and ecology
Provide long-term management and planning for IDSP certification
Increased number of IDSP certifications in Colorado

Overview

Type: Technical assistance and certification
For: Colorado State Parks
OEDIT Division: Colorado Tourism Office

Program participants will collaborate with representatives from DarkSky Colorado to utilize 20 hours of free consulting provided through the program. Example consulting activities include:

Structure a successful application for IDSP park Certification
Develop and implement a sky quality monitoring plan
Assist and help guide proper installation of sky quality meters
Evaluate and choose outdoor lighting for dark sky compliance
Facilitate site visits to conduct assessments of local lighting infrastructure

The 20 hours of consulting from DarkSky Colorado will be implemented through the months of November 2024 to April 2025. The program will also include free webinars and toolkits for all interested State Parks on topics such as:

Overview of the International Dark Sky Places program
How to set up a sky quality measuring program
Details of the Lighting Management Plan
How to conduct a Lighting Inventory
Develop and help organize visitor experiences related to stargazing or other dark sky awareness education opportunities

State Parks will be selected on a first come first serve basis and the following criteria:

Designated Colorado State Park with overnight visitation opportunities (day-use parks not eligible)
Written commitment to complete the 20 hours of technical assistance
Apply for Dark Sky Place certification to join the DarkSky International’s designation pipeline (please note the $250 application fee to open a file)

Applications are currently closed. Thirteen partners were selected for this year:

Crawford State Park
Eleven Mile State Park
Elkhead Reservoir State Park
Golden Gate Canyon State Park
Highline Lake State Park
John Martin Reservoir Park
Mueller State Park
Rifle Gap State Park
State Forest State Park
Steamboat Lake Stat Park
Staunton State Park
Trinidad Lake State Park
Sweetwater Lake

If you are interested in up to 8 hours of on-demand technical assistance from DarkSky Colorado, please review the Subject Matter Experts program and submit the form.

If you are not a state park but are seeking dark sky certification for your location, consider applying to the Dark Sky Certification Mentor program.