Breckenridge named first Colorado resort town with Dark Sky designation

Breckenridge has been officially designated a Dark Sky Community, becoming the first resort town in Colorado to receive the recognition from DarkSky International.

The designation follows years of work to curb light pollution, beginning with the town's first lighting ordinance in 2007 and ramping up in 2023 when officials began the hunt for the official certification.

Assistant Town Manager Julia Puester said the effort is focused on shielding light sources and directing them downward, as well as mitigating public lights that might not need to be on. "They should be where people are, not up into the night sky and not glowing," Puester explained. 

The town plans to spend $3.6 million over five years on the initiative (2023-2027), which includes lighting upgrades, resident education and quarterly monitoring of average sky brightness. Breckenridge plans to prioritize outreach over ticketing and hopes to avoid enforcement for townspeople altogether.

Local photographer Alex Neuschaefer said the designation could make a noticeable difference for astrophotography in Summit County, where ambient light from nearby towns and Denver has long posed challenges. "I have a lot of photos from the past that have quite a bit of ambient light, and I'm very interested to see the difference," he said.

Neuschaefer, who has traveled to dark-sky destinations like Sedona, Ariz., said clearer night skies inspire both his work and his perspective. "It just makes me kind of in awe of nature and our world and the bigger place that it all is," he said.

Breckenridge is hoping the certification will not only preserve night sky views for residents but also draw visitors seeking stargazing and astrophotography opportunities.