The stars at night are big and bright deep in the heart of … Estes.
That’s not exactly how the song was written (ask anyone from Texas), but on a cloudless night, you can usually see a sky full of stars here in the Estes Valley.
However, the glow from commercial signs, parking lot security lamps, and residential exterior lights can wash out the night sky, making it harder to see the stars in the firmament. Artificial light pollution also disrupts wildlife by altering their natural light-dark cycles, which affects everything from migration and reproduction to hunting and navigation.
Some community members want to change that. (See the Nov. 26, 2025 Mayor’s Message: Need a light?)
Dana Paiement, senior destination development manager at Visit Estes Park, the community’s Destination Marketing Organization, would like Estes to become a certified International Dark Sky Place community.
Paiement worked with DarkSky Colorado to draft a dark-sky policy, which was sent to Estes Park Town Administrator Travis Machalek and consultants with Design Workshop, who are rewriting the town’s development code.
The rewrite, which is expected to be completed by the end of next year, will include updated exterior lighting rules aimed at reducing light pollution and protecting night skies by adopting dark-sky policies.
Steve Carrecia, the community’s development director who is overseeing the code update process and working with the Design Workshop, an international landscape and urban planning consulting firm with offices in Aspen, said the “public engagement phase” should be finished this month.
Through a series of community forums starting in June, Carrecia said that they received strong support for increased dark-sky principles from roughly two-thirds of the community.
“I think we want to minimize the impact light has on the environment, on wildlife, on our visitors, and on our residents, while still respecting the safety and security of people who live in the community and visit the community,” said Town Trustee Frank Lancaster.
After launching their research in February and gathering early community input, Design Workshop consultants are now shaping the first framework for the project. By April 2026, Carrecia estimates the draft code will be roughly halfway complete and ready for public review and feedback. By late next summer, he expects the draft to be nearly finalized, setting the stage for a final round of public approval and consideration by the Town Trustees, with adoption targeted for December 2026.
“Residents routinely comment that they like the dark skies here in Estes,” Carrecia said. “That’s one of the many reasons they moved here. They would like to see that maintained. So, lower lighting levels, less glare, less light trespass from a neighbor’s light onto their property … those are all things they’ve asked us to look at with the code update.”
What might new dark-sky regulations look like?
Although the current code already includes exterior lighting regulations, Lancaster believes the town wants to designate dark-sky principles as a separate aspect of lighting management in the community, citing them as two distinct issues.
The current code requires that private property exterior lighting be concealed or shielded with shades, with an angle not exceeding 90 degrees, to minimize the potential for light intrusion onto adjacent properties. Additionally, all exterior lighting must be motion-sensitive or turned off when not in use, and light fixtures must not exceed 15 feet in height (or 25 feet for a parking lot with more than 100 spaces).
Carrecia said that since the code is still in the early draft phase, it is too early to know what changes will be made.
“Our residents, staff here at town, we all kind of see there are some holes in the code,” Carrecia said. “I think it does a good job with shielding, trying to reduce that (light) trespass. But I think we could go further with the dark sky. Maybe not achieve full certification through DarkSky Colorado, but at least adopt a lot of their principles.”
DarkSky Colorado outlines exterior lighting practices to protect the night sky, focusing on six principles: light’s functionality, color, brightness level, angle, height, and duration.
Lights should be warm-colored, motion-censored, no brighter than necessary, and always shielded to avoid light spilling beyond where it’s not needed. Most importantly, all lights should have a clear purpose.
Implementing dark-sky policies brings Estes closer to becoming a certified International Dark Sky Community.
Paiement said that incorporating dark-sky principles into the town code is the final step needed for Estes Park to apply and potentially qualify as an International Dark Sky Community.
Breckenridge was Colorado’s first dark sky resort community, followed by Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, Crestone, Naturita and Nucla, Norwood, Ridgway, and Paonia. In all, there are currently 19 certified Dark Sky places in Colorado, including state and national parks.
IDSCs are certified towns, cities, or municipalities that prove their dedication to maintaining dark skies by implementing exterior-lighting ordinances, conducting dark sky measuring events, garnering community support, and educating the public through outreach programs, according to Paiement and DarkSky Colorado’s website.
Unlike other DarkSky certifications, IDSCs are recognized for their efforts to reduce light pollution and involve the community, rather than achieving absolute darkness.
“We’re not saying we have the darkest skies in the world,” Paiement said. “We’re just making an effort to protect our night skies.”
Community education and involvement at local observatory
The Estes Park Memorial Observatory is a community resource supported by the registered nonprofit Angels Above Foundation, which aims to foster scientific education for children, for the community, and for visitors.
The observatory hosts monthly open houses, inviting the public to learn more about the night sky and often featuring a guest speaker. Then, if the weather permits, attendees are invited to stargaze afterward. During the spring, summer, and fall, people can book private stargazing sessions using the observatory’s 16-inch Ritchey-Chrétien f/8 Telescope with a Paramount ME II Telescope Mount and SkyX Professional Edition Astronomy Software in a 16-foot observatory dome.
“Almost anybody you talk to here (says) we need our dark skies, and they appreciate it because of what it can be,” said Mike Connolly, president and co-founder of the project. “If you don’t have them, I think you don’t know what you’re losing, and that’s really the truth.”
In addition to the observatory, other organizations working to educate the public about the night sky include the YMCA of the Rockies, which hosted a three-day immersive astronomy workshop in September, the Rocky Mountain Conservancy, and Rocky Mountain National Park, which hosted a two-day Astronomy Festival in August 2024.
“It really is about quality of life, for our guests that come visit us, and for all the people who live here now and will live here in the future,” Lancaster said. “How do we protect and improve the quality of life? That’s really the bottom line of it.”
Estes Park landscape and nature photogrpaher Rick Martinez shared some of his nightsky photography with the Estes Valley Voice for this story. An instalation of his work can be seen at the Sinclair Station on Morraine Avenue in Estes Park. Through his company, Rocky Mountain Journeys, Rick offers guided hikes, star tours, and photography classes. His work can also be purchased through his online store.
Thank you for publishing this. It gives me the opportunity to share this with a neighbor and ask (again) about changing out their exterior lights that shine over my property most nights. Last week the lights were off for two nights, and on the 2nd night, we had owls out in the trees, hooting loudly to each other.