START HERE / NIGHT RIDE 00
Start your stargazing adventure.
Find a place, plot a trajectory, prepare for the night, or find a guided astronomy experience.
LAND + SKY / PREAMBLE
Respect the land.
Share the sky.
ColoradoStargazingTrail.com acknowledges the Indigenous peoples whose homelands include what is now Colorado, including Ute, Cheyenne, Arapaho and Puebloan peoples. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging.
We revel in the shared cultural heritage of the night sky which highlights what brings us all together. People everywhere have used the same sky for navigation, seasons, science, ceremony, memory and story. We all are obligated to care for our planet and the sky above it for future generations just as past generations took care of it for us.
How this guide approaches land + sky ↗CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE / FIRST BRANCH
What do you want to do?
Pick the mission that matches your night. Each path drops you into the part of the guide built for that job. Branch out from there to explore the trail.
Find a place to stargaze in Colorado
Start with a region, then narrow the guide to the places, darkness and access that fit where you actually want to go.
CHOOSE A REGION ↗Plot a trajectory on the trail
Pick from curated Night Ride routes that connect Colorado Stargazing Trail stops into road trips instead of planning every leg from scratch.
BROWSE CURATED ROUTES ↗Prepare for the night
Learn how to stargaze, what to bring and how to plan around weather, moonlight, access, equipment and the realities of being outside after dark.
OPEN THE PRACTICAL GUIDES ↗Find a guided astronomy experience
Find public stargazing events, ranger programs, observatory nights, planetarium programs and guided astronomy experiences around Colorado.
FIND AN EVENT OR EXPERIENCE ↗
GOING STARGAZING TONIGHT? / START HERE
Four moves.
Then get outside.
You do not need to read the whole site before dark. Use these four checks, then open the detailed planning pages only where you need them.
Pick a place
Choose an official stop, guide addition or nearby region that fits the kind of night you want.
Browse placesCheck the sky
Look at the Moon, cloud cover and smoke for the hours you will actually be outside.
Open the practical guidePlot your course
Take a spin on our digital "Night Ride" choose-your-own-adventure guide to plot your course along the trail from anywhere in the world.
Start the Night RideSee what is happening
A ranger program, star party or guided telescope night can completely change which stop makes sense.
Check events