Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve

The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is truly unique and a special testament to the area’s heritage. Open to locals and visitors alike, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is a place where you can experience the best of the starry night sky without having to worry about light pollution. With binoculars and telescopes in hand, you’ll find easy access here to views of comets, meteors, and even the Milky Way. The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve is the first internationally recognized of its kind in the U.S. It was officially named in December of 2017 by the International Dark-Sky Association and is just the 12th of its kind across the planet.

Beyond being inspiring, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve serves many important purposes. It’s designed to both preserve and enhance the natural nighttime experience while providing enhanced economic benefits to the area through energy savings and tourism boosts alike. The Dark Sky Reserve conserves local nocturnal ecosystems and supports nocturnal wildlife as well. It’s a place where researchers can focus their work and local educational opportunities abound. Overall, the idea is to promote the dark night skies as a unique community asset that will be valuable for generations to come.

In its entirety, the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve spans Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Stanley alike. The easiest route to accessing the Dark Sky Reserve includes state highways 75 and 21. If you visit in the summer, you can spend an entire day here before the sun goes down making the most of white water river rafting, hiking, biking, or fishing. During the winter, your stargazing can be paired with skiing or snowshoeing. No matter when you arrive, be sure to check the Dark Sky Reserve’s event calendar to see what special opportunities are coming up on-site.