Ski all day. Stargaze all night. At Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort, you can do both — and now, it’s official.
Sun Valley just became the first ski resort in the U.S. to earn a DarkSky certification. DarkSky International recognized the resort for its responsible outdoor lighting and its location on the edge of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, the first “Gold Tier” dark sky reserve in the country.
One thing to note: Breckenridge, Colorado, became the first dark-sky-certified ski town in 2025. At Sun Valley, it’s the resort property itself that’s certified for its skies.
Stunning view of stars above a gondola in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Why winter is the time to look up
The same cold, dry air that makes for great skiing also makes for great stargazing. Winter brings long, clear, stable nights at altitude, and with the resort’s lighting managed to protect the dark, the stars shine at their best.
What light pollution steals
Most of us rarely see a sky like this. Glow from cities, streets and buildings washes out all but the brightest stars, and the faint ones fade first. This certification shows that a busy destination can keep its lights on and its skies dark.
A wide view of the mountains under a star-filled sky at Sun Valley Resort, which sits on the edge of the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.
A night out unlike any other ski resort
Sun Valley is building the dark sky into the trip with “Stars Over Sun Valley,” a gondola and astronomy experience.
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The resort hosts it as a recurring series around major astronomical events, including meteor showers like the Perseids in August 2026. Check with the resort for upcoming dates or explore Idaho Dark Sky Alliance’s calendar to see what celestial highlights could align with your visit.
You ride up into the night and spend it looking at the sky instead of the slopes. It’s an experience unlike any other ski resort.
As ski season approaches, plan your trip around the snow and the stars.
Guests ride the gondola to mid-mountain for expert-led astronomy under the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve at “Stars Over Sun Valley.”
Faiza Mohammed is a meteorologist intern at weather.com. She studied geography and worked with the Weather Dawgs team at the University of Georgia. She also received her master’s in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
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