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On this trip, you get to visit multiple locations around the state known for their dark skies and jaw-dropping stargazing opportunities — is that Orion's Belt? The towns of Westcliffe, Silver Cliff, La Veta, Cuchara, Creede and Lake City are waiting to greet you with incredible hospitality during the day, too.

Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night

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Help fight to keep Colorado a place that gives us pride to call it our home. Donate to <a href="https://conservationco.org">Conservation Colorado</a> so we can protect the Colorado way of life and continue a legacy of solid protection of our air, lands, waters and people.

Make a Donation

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This trail offers a breathtaking, moderate approach and views of some of Colorado's most beautiful lakes. Along the hike is a magnificent waterfall, so bring your camera!

Hike Lakes of the Clouds in Westcliffe

Family friendly in Westcliffe. Plan your next get-together here. Occasional live entertainment, casual cocktail area. Take out available.

Tony's Mountain Pizza

For nearly 60 years, Jim Bishop constructed one of the most impressive monuments to perseverance in Colorado. Bishop castle is a monumental statue in stone and iron.

Bishop Castle

Open year round. Quaint mountain cabins nestled among pines and aspens and bordered by San Isabel National Forest with its famous Rainbow Trail to the high country. Two-bedroom cabins sleep 2-4, have a kitchenette and private bath.

Alpine Lodge & Restaurant

The Smokey Jack Observatory boasts a retractable roof and a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope with computer-guided pointing and tracking to view the majestic night sky. Attend one of the free Dark Skies star parties throughout the year or book a private star party.

Smokey Jack Observatory

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If the observatory is packed, head to <a href="https://www.colorado.com/coloradostargazing">DeWeese Reservoir</a>.

See Colorado's First International Dark-Sky Community

Dark Skies Vacations helps travelers experience amazing views from comfortable vacation homes. During the day explore views of nearby wildlife, verdant grassland valleys, rolling hills and the majestic Sangre de Cristos, with a half-dozen nearby fourteeners.

Dark Skies Vacations

If you're looking for amazing coffee in our tiny town, Candy's is the place to be! More than a coffee shop - Coffee, Tea, Espresso, Gazpacho, Veggie Sandwiches, Paninis, Smoothies

Candy's Coffee

The main trail meanders through fields, woods and into a deep arroyo on the south side. There is a by-pass trail for people who prefer not to enter the arroyo. The trail follows a berm on the north side that offers a beautiful view of the Spanish Peaks and Mt. Maestas.

Wahatoya State Wildlife Area

Charlie's has been locally owned and operated in La Veta Colorado since 1937. We are a full-service grocery store with a soda fountain.

Charlie's Market

La Veta may be small and laid-back, but it’s also the Spanish Peaks Region's art hub. Galleries featuring local, national and international artists dot the town's quaint Main Street.

Tour La Veta's Art Galleries

Each evening, we offer a delicious selection from our menu choices of lamb, steak, chicken, seafood or vegetarian complemented with fresh vegetables and potato, rice or pasta, along with soup or salad to complete your meal.

Alys' Restaurant

Located at the top of La Veta Pass, this district is not only a fantastic place to see the stars but also a place filled with history and several historic buildings are currently being restored.

Go Stargazing at Uptop Historic District

This isn't your basic franchise cookie cutter property. Originally built as the La Veta Hotel and featuring the ledger in the lobby dating back to 1883, you're sure to find this property special and full of charm. Located in the heart of La Veta, this property tells countless stories over the years, including those of being haunted.

La Veta Inn

Delight in breakfast classics like packed breakfast burritos, decadent pancakes and more.

Skinny's Diner and Bar

Travel beneath the iconic Spanish Peaks on the Highway of Legends Scenic Byway while listening to an audio tour that tells stories of historic cities and towns, former mining camps and even a few ghost towns.

Do the Highway of Legends Audio Tour

Long considered the heart and soul of the Cuchara Valley, Dog Bar &amp; Grill is the place to enjoy lunch on the outdoor deck with your favorite canine or a casual dine-in evening for dinner and beverages from a full bar.  Live entertainment on weekends thru the summer.

Dog Bar & Grill

The park is roughly 50 acres, mostly at the base of the old ski resort.

Cuchara Mountain Park

Located right next to one another, Blue Lake and Bear Lake Campgrounds offer the best stargazing around. Be amazed by the night sky shimmering off the lake in front of you.

Stargaze at Blue Lake or Bear Lake

Enjoy a trail ride on horseback, flyfishing and delicious barbecue - all without leaving the ranch! Serving families Western hospitality for 87 years.

Yellow Pine Guest Ranch

Authentic New Mexican and international food in the European tradition. A small restaurant with an even smaller kitchen produces clean, quality, from scratch food from around the globe. Think locally., cook globally!!

Legends on Main

Because the dunes and surrounding mountains are designated wilderness, this is a great place to enjoy unspoiled natural beauty in a variety of ways. Whether you play in Medano Creek, build a sand castle, slide down the dunes, go birdwatching in wetlands or ascend a 13,000-foot peak, you will discover plenty of kinds of outdoor recreation for all ages.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Casual cafe' serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in Alamosa.

All Valley Cafe

Cut from the rock face by glaciers and scoured by millennia of rushing water, cold water crashes through a 30 ft. cleft in the rock walls. The falls are a half-mile hike from the parking area, where mountain bike and wilderness hiking trails can also be accessed.

Zapata Falls Recreation Area

BBQ Restaurant, Food Truck, and catering company that serves championship winning smoked meat on a daily basis! We will cater any event, any size!

Woody's Q Shack

An evening at Great Sand Dunes can include exploring dunes under a full moon, viewing thousands of stars on a clear night, listening for owls along the foothills or observing migrating amphibians on a wet night.

See the Stars at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

The newly renovated Dunes Inn offers personal, small-town hospitality with budget-friendly rates. It's within walking distance of Alamosa restaurants, pubs, museums and more.

Dunes Inn

Drink Coffee....Love Others!  Milagros Coffeehouse not only serves a full line of delicious espresso and coffee drinks, teas, and baked goods, we also support the efforts of La Puente Home in combating homelessness and poverty in the San Luis Valley.

Milagros Coffee House

Pop into galleries and spiritual centers found throughout town.

Explore Downtown Crestone

Our Food Is Art dishes up tacos, sandwiches, burgers, salads, Colorado craft beer and wine, plus vegan options and a kids menu.

Our Food Is Art

Strap on your hiking boots for this difficult trail that provides spectacular views in the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness.

Hike Willow Lake

Juanitos Mexican Kitchen offers you a world of authentic Mexican food right in the state of Colorado. Family owned and operated since 1995, we offer both dine in and take-out!

Juanito's Mexican Kitchen

The watchtower is a 10-foot-tall viewing platform that takes advantage of the remote area’s high elevation. Pass the time with your eyes on the sky, checking out the Healing Garden or even camping on site.

UFO Watchtower

Just outside the town of Crestone and nestled in the heart of the Mystic San Luis Valley, Crestone Casitas is welcoming retreat on 40 spacious acres.

Crestone Casitas

While the platform at the UFO Watchtower was built for spotting UFOs, it's not a bad place to check out the stars on a clear night.

Stargazing

Bristol Head Bakery in Creede offers fresh, made from scratch pastries, pies, cakes and cookies. Custom orders are available with advance notice.

Bristol Head Bakery

Learn about stopeing, what Lymers are, blacksmithing, mucking, blasting and assaying, all underground in the cool heart of the mountain. Twenty-two displays show how mining was done in Creede from the 1890s until the last mine closed in 1985.

Underground Mining Museum

Kip's Grill started operating out of a caboose on the side of the Highway in Del Norte, Colorado in 1996. The goal was to create seriously fresh, handmade tacos with amazing flavors and provide our patrons with outstanding customer service. A lot of things have changed along the way. The menu has expanded, the location moved to 101 5th Street in Creede, Colorado and we are now open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. A lot of things have not changed at all. We still work hard to make fantastically fresh and delicious food and our efforts are always 100% focused on "Pleasin' The People".

Kip's Grill

One of the most astounding geologic sites in Colorado, the area is accessed by hiking a 7-mile trail or driving a 14-mile 4WD road.  The 640 acre area is filled with ghostly spires and flowing folds of earth.

Wheeler Geologic Area

An old-fashioned American vacation destination with modern riverside cabins, rooms, RVs, private fishing and riverside dining.

Antlers Rio Grande Lodge & Riverside Restaurant

This picnic site sits on the shore of Love Lake and is a secluded place to check out the stars.

Go Stargazing at Love Lake Picnic Site

Tucked into the slender Goose Creek Valley of the San Juan Mountains, this historic Colorado guest ranch truly is "one of Colorado's last perfect places." Within its 3000 acres wind 6 miles of private trout stream, the Rio Grand River, miles of mountain trails for hiking and horseback riding, historic natural hot springs, and a some of the finest locally sourced cuisine.
For those looking for a vacation with something for all ages, the 4UR Ranch has been providing families with a wonderful experience for generations. While the grown-ups may spend the day fly fishing, horseback riding, shooting, or hiking, the kids have fun exploring and learning about the great outdoors with our enthusiastic counselors.
Whether you seek the finest Colorado fly fishing, truly memorable horseback riding, or just perfect solitude in the Rocky Mountains, this gracious and historic guest resort will exceed your expectations in every way and offers you a spectacular vacation experience.
Here, you'll arrive as guests and leave as family!

4UR Ranch

Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at this local spot in Creede.

MJ's Cafe

Weaves past valleys and peaks in the San Juan Mountains connecting the towns of South Fork, Creede and Lake City and ending at Blue Mesa reservoir. Encounter astounding geological formations, abundant wildlife, and much of Colorado's early history along the way.
<a href="http://www.colorado.com/articles/colorado-scenic-byway-silver-thread">Experience the Silver Thread Scenic &amp; Historic Byway &gt;&gt;</a>

Silver Thread Scenic and Historic Byway

Live music venue hosting a diverse lineup of performances.

La Veta Mercantile

Kayak or stand-up paddleboard your way around Lake San Cristobal. If you need to rent equipment, Sportsman Outdoors is a great local joint.

Spend the Afternoon on the Water

Elevated comfort food and craft cocktails served with attentive, friendly service.

Climb Elevated Eatery

An initiative is underway to have a sixty-acre parcel near Lake City designated as a Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association. In the meantime, you can visit Windy Point Overlook to see all the constellations.

Go Stargazing at Windy Point Observation Site

G&amp;M Cabins is centrally located in downtown Lake City. Our cabins are completely furnished with kitchens, 1 or 2 bedrooms, private baths and cable TV. FREE WI-FI.  No smoking in cabins and no pets allowed. We also have charcoal grills and outside picnic areas