Are you beginning to draft your Colorado summer bucket list? Thankfully for Coloradans, there are plenty of things to see and do during these warmer months, including stargazing. While the skies are beautiful in almost every part of Colorado, there are some places that are better than others for stargazing, including the memorable Hovenweep National Monument, one of the best castles in the US:

Situated along the Colorado and Utah border, Hovenweep National Monument is known for its fascinating history, but few realize that it is also home to some of the clearest skies in the Centennial State. 
Flickr/jaygannett
Designated a National Monument in 1923, Hovenweep was once home to 2,500+ Ancestral Puebloans who lived in the area between A.D. 1200 and 1300, as evidenced by the 6 villages within the vicinity. 
Jacob W. Frank/Wikimedia Commons
When you visit, you will discover what Colorado life looked like hundreds of years ago via Hovenweep's many structures, towers, and other various artifacts.
National Park Service/Wikimedia Commons

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In addition to housing vital state history, Hovenweep is also one of the best places in Colorado for stargazing, thanks to the fact that this rural area boats some of the darkest skies in the country. 
Google/Mark Noirot
According to the National Park Service, it is common to visit Hovenweep and see up to 15,000+ stars each night, noting that "open skies of Hovenweep certainly draw one's attention, and fortunately the night sky is about as dark as it was 800 years ago."
Flickr/PunkToad
Can you see why Hovenweep National Monument was named an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark-Sky Association?
Hovenweep National Monument Facebook
To learn more about stargazing at Hovenweep National Monument and how to camp under the stars, please visit the National Park Service's website.
Google/Dylan Mattina

Have you had a chance to visit Hovenweep after dark? We would love to see your photos and hear about your experience in the comments! For even more great places to stargaze in the Centennial State, click on This International Dark Sky Park In Colorado Will Take You A Million Miles Away From It All.

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Hovenweep National Monument, Montezuma Creek, UT 84534, USA