Superb opportunities to enjoy the night sky are just one of many reasons to visit Capitol Reef National Park, and that quality has earned some special recognition for the site. The park has been named a 'Gold Tier' park by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), the highest ranking awarded by that non-profit organization. In doing so, Capitol Reef becomes the seventh unit of the National Park System to achieve designation as an International Dark Sky Park.
The announcement was made on April 16 during International Dark Sky Week, an annual event to raise awareness of light pollution and celebrate the beauty of the night sky.
'We are thrilled to honor the excellent work at Capitol Reef National Park that has put it on the map for serious amateur astronomers and casual stargazers alike,' said IDA Executive Director J. Scott Feierabend.
The Colorado Plateau Includes Some of the Darkest Night Skies in the Country
The IDA announcement noted, "Few places in the continental United States experience nights as dark as those on the Colorado Plateau, but not even the isolation of the Plateau's wild lands make its skies immune to the harmful effects of light pollution. Protecting the natural nighttime environment in some of America's greatest national parks and monuments requires educating park staff, visitors and local communities, and adopting good outdoor lighting practices. Capitol Reef National Park... has undertaken a multi-year program doing just that."
Over the past year, the park staff has followed through on a commitment to attain this designation. The staff conducted an outdoor lighting inventory, made improvements to outdoor light fixtures that increased the park's 'night-friendly' lighting from 30 percent to 70 percent, completed night sky monitoring, and engaged the public and local community in dark-sky conservation.
The park was assisted by the NPS Natural Sounds & Night Skies Division, which provided technical support to help the park build its popular public astronomy programs, and by the Intermountain Regional Office. Additional assistance with the project came from park partners, the Entrada Institute, Capitol Reef Natural History Association, and from volunteers.
Climate and Location Combine for Outstanding Night Skies at the Park
'Most of Capitol Reef National Park is very distant from large metropolitan areas with associated outdoor lighting that causes perpetual sky glow,' explained Dan Duriscoe of the National Park Service Night Sky Team. 'A climate with a high percentage of cloudless conditions and typically very clear air also contribute to outstanding night sky quality.'
A park spokesperson notes that despite serving over 830,000 visitors in 2014, Capitol Reef has largely resisted infrastructure development and instead offers visitors a rustic experience. As a consequence there is very little artificial lighting in the park, so visitors experience a night that is remarkably close to what it would have been in the pioneer era.
The Milky Way arches over Capitol Reef National Park's iconic Chimney Rock. NPS photo by Jacob W. Frank
The park's 'Gold Tier' designation for night skies is also the result of park efforts over the past decade and a half to raise awareness of its dark skies and help visitors enjoy them. Astronomy-themed visitor programs began in 2000 and expanded considerably during the International Year of Astronomy in 2009.
Since 2010 Capitol Reef has partnered with the National Park Service Night Sky Team to host specialized astronomy volunteers called Astro VIPs (Volunteers in Parks) who organize nighttime public programs at the park. In addition to programs for adults, the park offers a Junior Night Sky Ranger program to engage kids in learning more about the night sky.
Protecting Dark Skies is a Long-Term Process
The park leadership believes these efforts are just the beginning in a long-term process to secure the park's dark skies for years to come. IDA recognition is only one step along the way to success, but an important gesture in rewarding the hard work already done.
'This designation is a testament to the commitment the park has made to preserve its pristine dark skies for this and future generations,' said Superintendent Leah McGinnis.
The park's Gold Tier dark-sky designation exemplifies the efforts of the NPS to embrace "Starry Starry Night," an NPS initiative that pledges the agency to "lead the way in protecting natural darkness as a precious resource and create a model for dark sky protection by establishing America's first Dark Sky Cooperative on the Colorado Plateau.'
Other federal agencies, state parks, tribes, businesses and citizens are part of this cooperative, which emphasizes the economic benefits of sustainable tourism that dark skies can provide while maintaining the heritage, beauty and wonder of the stars above.
"This year's Heritage Star Festival on October 9 and 10 [at the park] will celebrate the achievement of this International dark-sky designation and provide the public information about our conservation efforts, as well as encourage the appreciation of Capitol Reef's beautiful night skies,' said Superintendent McGinnis.
Comments
This has received big play in Utah news media. I was very surprised to learn that Utah actually has many other dark sky designated sites including one just a few miles from me in a Weber County park near Eden.
I especially enjoyed this from the article: "A park spokesperson notes that despite serving over 830,000 visitors in 2014, Capitol Reef has largely resisted infrastructure development and instead offers visitors a rustic experience."
But why on earth should any park have to "resist infrastructure development?"
I find it vastly amusing that Capitol Reef is just a few hours down the road from one of the most light-polluted places on the planet (Las Vegas). But I agree wholeheartedly with Lee when he asks why on earth should any park have to "resist infrastructure development?"
Magaera - we can be thankful there's quite a bit of wide open spaces between Vegas and Capitol Reef!
I heard a comment years ago that Las Vegas does serve one useful purpose in the big scheme of things: it provides a place where you can see in one location the worst examples of good taste and almost activity known to man :-)
Because different people have different ways to enjoy the parks. Some of you may want the parks swept clean of human artifacts but the vast majority of those that use and support the parks would not.