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The International Dark Sky Association has designated Canyonlands National Park as an International Dark Sky Park.

That should not surprise anyone who has camped somewhere in the Maze District on a clear, dark night or has visited the Needles or Island in the Sky Districts after dark on a clear evening.

One night a few years ago at Dead Horse Point State Park, which is near the Island in the Sky, the Northern Lights even became visible.

"It is truly a pleasure to recognize efforts at Canyonlands to expand the reach of dark skies protections across the Colorado Plateau," IDA executive director J. Scott Feierabend said. "The park's achievement helps bring the awe-inspiring experience of an authentically dark, natural night to over half a million visitors a year."

Canyonlands was designated a national park in 1964. It is known as one of the wildest parks in the lower 48 states with many places only accessible by four-wheel drive, mountain bike, river raft or foot.

"The Milky Way stretching across the park's incredibly dark night sky is a sight many visitors will never forget," said Canyonlands Superintendent Kate Cannon. "With this gold-tier designation, the International Dark Sky Association recognizes the importance of the natural darkness found here."

According to the National Park Service, efforts to preserve natural darkness in Canyonlands began several years ago with a focused effort to revamp and replace park lighting with "night-sky friendly" bulbs and fixtures. Nearly 100 percent of the park's lights are designed to preserve the natural darkness.

The Park Service often sponsors night sky programs at the Island in the Sky and Needles where rangers use story telling and telescopes to introduce the night sky to visitors.

Canyonlands is part of the Southeast Utah Group. Hovenweep National Monument and Natural Bridges National Monument area also Dark Sky Parks. In fact, Natural Bridges became the world's first International Dark Sky Park in 2007.

Capitol Reef National Park is also a Dark Dark Sky Park.