LANDER, Wyo. — Sinks Canyon State Park has become Wyoming’s first designated International Dark Sky Park, according to an announcement from Wyoming State Parks & Cultural Resources.
DarkSky International, a nonprofit on a mission “to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting,” has added Sinks Canyon to its list of more than 200 designated locations where the night sky is protected against light pollution. In the western U.S., other DarkSky-certified recreation sites include Craters Of The Moon National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, City of Rocks National Preserve, Death Valley National Park, Great Basin National Park and Prineville Reservoir State Park.
“As the first DarkSky designated site in Wyoming, we hope to be an inspiration for others to follow suit and keep the skies dark over this vast state dark for future generations to enjoy,” Park Superintendent Jessica Moore said in the announcement.
To qualify for this distinction, the Sinks Canyon team installed shielded motion sensor light fixtures and hosted night-focused events on such topics as constellations, moth identification and night adaptations. Signage now encourages guests to minimize their outdoor lighting. The park began its application process in 2019.
“This designation is a monumental achievement towards helping to protect and preserve the integrity of the dark skies in Sinks Canyon for both humans and wildlife,” the announcement reads.
In 2022, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners voted to amend Teton County’s land development regulations so that the county could become eligible for International Dark Sky Community (IDSC) designation. In the western U.S., only Ketchum, Idaho, Julian, CA and Borrego Springs, CA have been designated as IDSCs.
