Paonia Is a Certified Dark Sky Community

In September 2024, DarkSky International certified Paonia as an International Dark Sky Community, the sixth in Colorado. The town sits in eastern Delta County on the Western Slope, and according to DarkSky the dry, high-desert air here stays clear enough that the Milky Way can often be seen from backstreets and open spaces inside town limits. Step out past the porch light, give your eyes a few minutes, and the band of the galaxy comes up over the West Elk Mountains.

That view did not happen by accident. DarkSky says the designation took about seven years of work, including a town lighting approach that favors warm, shielded fixtures pointed down instead of up. Lights aimed at the ground show your steps without washing out the sky, which keeps the stars sharp for the whole street.

It helps that public lands ring the valley, including Grand Mesa National Forest and the West Elk Wilderness, so the dark does not stop at the town edge. That mix of careful lighting and open country is what put Paonia on the dark-sky map.

To confirm the designation and details, see DarkSky International’s page for the Town of Paonia.