Entry No. 18 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: outdoor
Green Mountain Falls Skyspace
“turn the framed sky into slow, hallucinatory color”
A permanent James Turrell "Skyspace" perched on Red Butte Mountain — a chamber with an oculus open to the sky that you reach on foot, where dawn and dusk light sequences turn the framed sky into slow, hallucinatory color.
The move: Hike up Red Butte at dusk and lie back inside the Skyspace as the oculus frames the changing sky — free in daylight outside shows, $5 for the timed light sequence.
📍 Before you go The Skyspace sits in the Red Butte Recreation Area on the slope above the tiny village of Green Mountain Falls — there's no drive-up door, so plan to walk. Two trails climb to it: the Turrell/Lower trail (shorter but steep, behind Gazebo Lake) and the Pittman trail (longer and more scenic, from the Joyland lot). It's roughly a 15-minute uphill walk at about 7,800 feet, so pace for the altitude and bring water and a layer. Park in the Red Butte lots or on the street in town. Dawn and dusk are when the light sequences earn the climb; driving up is reservation-only, arranged ahead by email. Wander the walkable little town center afterward.
- 📍 Green Mountain Falls
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Red Butte Mountain, Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819
Hours: Free to visit on foot in daylight outside shows; timed shows $5. Vehicle access by reservation only, ≥48h ahead ([email protected]). Reached via two hiking trails.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · greenmountainfalls.colorado.gov · Atlas Obscura
last checked: 2026-06-04