Dark Sky Month in Colorado

The full arch of the Milky Way stretches over Crestone, Colorado, a Certified Dark Sky Community.

Colorado is proud of its dark skies. Set against the wide open plains of eastern Colorado or the snow-capped peaks of the western portions of the state, there is no shortage of views to compose with the Milky Way and a sky full of stars. And only Utah has more places than Colorado certified as Dark Sky Places by Dark Sky International.

For that reason, Governor Jared Polis proclaimed June as Dark Sky Month. Since 2021, the proclamation establishing the event raised awareness about the importance of dark skies across Colorado and to encourage residents and visitors alike to step out into the dark and look up. 

The core of the Milky Way rises above Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds in Rocky Mountain National Park.

This year, Polis also dedicated the new Colorado Stargazing Trail as part of Dark Sky Month celebrations. More of a map than a true trail, the Colorado Stargazing Trail connects the 21 Certified Dark Sky Places in Colorado. Some of these locations include Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument and Jackson Lake State Park, the only certified location in Colorado east of U.S. Interstate 25.

There are even more places in Colorado working on their own certification, including communities like Estes Park and Berthoud, and 12 state parks, including Crawford and Eleven Mile.

A long tree along the shore of Crawford Reservoir and a sky full of stars as seen on a summer night in Crawford State Park in the southeast portion of Colorado.

And just because a location doesn't have a Certified Dark Sky Place designation, does not mean that the destination is not a unique place to photograph the celestial objects. For example, Rocky Mountain National Park has some phenomenal dark skies the farther you get from the light pollution of the Front Range. And don't let the light pollution stop you from capturing unique images. This park has stunning landscape features.

A little light pollution mixed with a little moonlight can illuminate the beautiful tundra landscape and jagged peaks this park was created to preserve. 

Comet A3 appears to slowly move across the sky as seen from the tundra of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.

To get started in night photography, you will need a camera body that can handle the high ISO required for night sky images, a lens that has an aperture of at least f2.8 or wider, a sturdy tripod and a remote shutter release (or some method to trigger the shutter without touching the camera). The settings to start are ISO 3200, the widest aperture of the lens and a shutter speed of 15 seconds.

Keep in mind these are just starting points. Adjust as needed based on the amount of light in the field that night. And be patient with working on the focus; it is the hardest part of capturing a good night sky photo.

The Milky Way looks massive and forboding as it stretches across the sky above the homestead in Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado.

I use a Nikon 14-24mm lens, a Nikon 20mm lens and a Nikon 24-70mm lens. I also use the Nikon z8 and the Nikon remote trigger. Any sturdy tripod will work, and make sure you are familiar with all of the equipment BEFORE you go out into the field in the dark. 

In addition to camera gear, it is important to have sturdy closed-toe shoes to prevent bumps in the dark, a charged headlamp with a red-light setting to avoid ruining your night vision and layers of clothes to stay warm as the temperatures drop overnight. You can also consider a lens warmer if the temperatures are anticipated to really drop during the night shoot.

More advanced night photography includes trackers, stacking images, and astro-modified cameras. For those interested in delving deeper into night photography, check out these two books: 

• Dusk to Dawn by Glenn Randall

• Photographing the Night Sky by Alyn Wallace

Star trails fill the sky above the forest in northern Colorado on a summer night.

If you are new to night photography or do not have the right camera gear, newer cell phones, such as the iPhone 17, do an amazing job at taking night photos. 

And if you want some hands-on instruction, consider signing up for one of my night workshops where we will talk about the concepts of night photography, gear, how to plan locations and more. These workshops are designed for the person new to night photography who wants to take their first photograph or someone new to photographing at night in Rocky Mountain National Park or the other locations where I hold night photo workshops (Dalton Highway of Alaska, Devils Tower of South Dakota). 

NOTE: Some links in this post go to affiliate links and may provide me with a small commission at no additional cost to you.