Star-Filled Four Corners States Claim 16 International Dark Sky Parks

Summary: The star-filled Four Corners States in the United States claim 16 International Dark Sky Parks certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah is the first International Dark Sky Park, certified by the International Dark-Sky Association; night sky at Owachomo Bridge: National Park Service/Jacob W. Frank, Public Domain, via Natural Bridges National Monument Utah

The star-filled Four Corners States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah in the southwestern United States claim 16 International Dark Sky Parks, accounting for almost 40 percent of International Dark-Sky Association’s certified 41 International Dark Sky Parks.

The International Dark-Sky Association, co-founded in 1988 by astronomer David Livingstone Crawford and radiologist Timothy “Tim” B. Hunter to protect night skies, has certified 30 International Dark Sky Parks in the United States. The certification recognizes the park’s extraordinary starry nights, specific protection of heritages and promotion of public enjoyment.

International Dark Sky Parks encourage prime sky views for amateur, novice and expert skywatchers and stargazers. Skyward viewing park visitors benefit from supplemental experiences of impressive landscapes in the parks’ natural settings. Similarly, park visitors who may have been drawn by park landscapes enjoy the bonus attraction of clear, dark, starry panoramas.

The Four Corners States in the American Southwest host 16 of the 30 International Dark Sky Parks sited in the United States. The four-state region, known for rugged, spectacular landscapes, claims the honor of the first-ever certified International Dark Sky Park. On March 6, 2007, Natural Bridges National Monument in southwestern Utah became the first certified IDA International Dark Sky Park.

Utah welcomes the most number of certifications, with six International Dark Sky Parks within its borders. A seventh International Dark Sky Park straddles Utah’s border with Colorado.

Canyonlands National Park balances spectacular skies with colorful, eroded landscapes in southeastern Utah. Capitol Reef National Park in south central Utah supplements exceptional starry nights with white Navajo Sandstone cliffs and domes. Dead Horse Point State Park, which overlooks a gooseneck bend of the Colorado River, is adjacent to Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah. Goblin Valley State Park in south central Utah claims among the world’s highest concentrations of hoodoos, fantastically-shaped, freestanding, sandstone-capped rock pinnacles. Natural Bridges National Monument features the world’s second largest natural bridge. Weber County North Fork Park in north central Utah is a cross-country skiing mecca that emphasizes its rustic, wild landscapes and darkened skyscapes.

Hovenweep National Monument straddles the southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado borders. Geographically isolated, the International Dark Sky Park frames ruins of Native American villages, dating from A.D. 900 to 1350, with natural, non-polluted skies.

Arizona has four International Dark Sky Parks. Formerly the Kennally Family Ranch, Oracle State Park in southeastern Arizona is a wildlife refuge with skyglow from nearby Tucson blocked by the Santa Catalina Mountains. Flagstaff Area National Monuments in north central Arizona preserves archaeological sites and natural landmarks and benefits from effective outdoor lighting codes for nearby urbanization. Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument in northwestern Arizona beguile visitors with equally dramatic landscapes and skyscapes.

New Mexico hosts four International Dark Sky Parks. Capulin Volcano National Monument in northeastern New Mexico provides nearly pristine night skies and an unobstructed panorama of portions of four states (Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas) from its volcanic altitudinous rim, at 2,494 meters (8,182.41 feet) above sea level. Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico protects the ruins of an ancient civilization and maintains strict, sky-friendly lighting guidelines. Clayton Lake State Park in northeastern New Mexico edges the American Great Plains with grasslands, sandstone bluffs and volcanic rocks. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monuments in central New Mexico preserves ruins and structures built by Native Americans and Spanish missionaries.

In addition to the International Dark Sky Park shared with Utah, Colorado has one designated park completely within its borders. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in southwestern Colorado is a steep, shadow-shrouded, vertical wilderness with sparse artificial light at night.

The takeaway for the Four Corners States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah as hosts of 16 International Dark Sky Parks is the southwestern sites’ exceptional offerings of complete immersions in land- and sky-based natural spectacles.

Hovenweep National Monument's International Dark Sky Park designation is shared by Colorado and Utah; “Milky Way at the Square Tower Group”: National Park Service/Jacob W. Frank, Public Domain, via Hovenweep National Monument CO, UT

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah is the first International Dark Sky Park, certified by the International Dark-Sky Association; night sky at Owachomo Bridge: National Park Service/Jacob W. Frank, Public Domain, via Natural Bridges National Monument Utah @ https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=5AF91578-155D-451F-67E830852E0F04E7

Hovenweep National Monument's International Dark Sky Park designation is shared by Colorado and Utah; “Milky Way at the Square Tower Group”: National Park Service/Jacob W. Frank, Public Domain, via Hovenweep National Monument CO, UT @ https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery.htm?id=5B060AD9-155D-451F-676686B3081918F8

For further information:

“Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/blackcanyon/

“Canyonlands National Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/canyonlands/

“Capitol Reef National Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/capitolreef/

“Capulin Volcano National Monument (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/capulin-volcano-national-monument/

“Chaco Culture National Historical Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/chacoculture/

“Clayton Lake State Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/claytonlake/

“Dead Horse Point State Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/deadhorsepoint/

“Enchanted Rock State Natural Area (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/enchantedrock/

“Flagstaff Area National Monuments (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/flagstaff-area-national-monuments/

“Four Corners, Southwestern U.S.” NASA Earth Observatory > Image of the Day. Sept. 25, 2011.
Available @ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=52242&src=eoa-iotd

“Goblin Valley State Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/goblin-valley-state-park/

“Grand Canyon National Park (U.S.). International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/grandcanyon/

“Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/parashant/

“Hovenweep National Monument (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/hovenweep/

The International Dark-Sky Association. Fighting Light Pollution: Smart Solutions for Individuals and Communities. Mechanicsburg PA: Stackpole Books, 2012.

“International Dark Sky Parks.” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/

Marriner, Derdriu. "United States Has 30 International Dark Sky Parks as of October 2016." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/11/united-states-has-30-international-dark.html

“Natural Bridges National Monument (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/naturalbridges/

“Oracle State Park (U.S.).” International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/

“Weber County North Fork Park (U.S.)." International Dark-Sky Association > International Dark Sky Places > International Dark Sky Parks.
Available @ http://darksky.org/idsp/parks/northforkpark/