“We’re thrilled to be the first National Park Service unit to receive this specific designation, as this will only fuel our night-sky preservation efforts,” William Shott, superintendent of Rainbow Bridge National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, said in a written statement.
The dark-sky designation, made in conjunction with the International Dark-Sky Association, will be marked by a series of public astronomy events, beginning Saturday with viewings at Lake Powell Resort in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s Wahweap District.
That event, scheduled to run from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, also falls on the last day of International Dark-Sky Week, officials said.