Jackson Lake State Park (International Dark Sky Park) — After Dark & Night Sky in Fort Collins

Entry No. 62 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: after-dark

Jackson Lake State Park (International Dark Sky Park)

Jackson Lake was certified Colorado's first International Dark Sky State Park, with a Bortle Class 2 sky dark enough that the Milky Way is plainly visible to the naked eye. All park lighting is fully shielded and blue-light-free to protect the night. The park owns a self-aligning telescope and partners with the Northern Colorado Astro Society to run periodic star parties (typically scheduled in late summer and early fall), and the lakeshore campsites make it easy to stay out under the stars all night.

The move: Book a lakeside campsite for a moonless weekend, hit a ranger-led telescope program, then lie back on the shore and watch the Milky Way arc over the water.

📍 Before you go About 70-80 miles from Fort Collins; standard state-park pass required. Most astronomy programs run May-August, and the darkest views are around the new moon.

Where: 26363 County Rd 3, Orchard, CO 80649

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

#after-dark #dark-sky-park #stargazing #milky-way #camping #day-trip

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23