5 Ways To See the Stars in Colorado’s First Dark-Sky Ski Town

In 2007, development was skyrocketing across Breckenridge. New residences sprang up near the historical downtown. Condos and commercial buildings rose around the ski resort. And with each new, exterior-light-fixture-clad structure, locals got a little closer to joining the 80 percent of Americans unable to see even a wisp of the Milky Way. So town leaders took steps to begin reversing the trend—using, for example, warmer-hued LEDs in covered, downward-facing casings.

The efforts paid off this August when Breckenridge became the first mountain ski resort town in Colorado to earn Dark Sky Community certification from the Arizona-based nonprofit DarkSky International. This month is a stellar time to give that celestial canvas a gander: Although average nighttime temps hover around 14 degrees, darkness falls earlier and lasts longer, and winter skies tend to hold less moisture, thereby reducing cloud cover and decreasing the atmospheric turbulence that can make stars look hazy. Plus, as this constellation of options demonstrates, Breckenridge shines when the weather chills.

1. The International Snow Sculpture Championships

• When: January 24–February 3, 2026
• Cost: Free

Maybe the heavenly bodies that have inspired awe from time immemorial feel just a bit mid to your teen. Best to coordinate your trip to overlap with this 35th annual showdown, during which 12 teams transform 25-ton blocks of snow in downtown Breck into Instagram-worthy depictions of warriors and mythical mother figures. Warning: The bulbs trained on the sculptures after sundown will diminish visibility, but the chance to capture the contrast between white and night is a fair trade-off.

Read More: Your Guide to Breckenridge

2. Snowcat Adventure Tour at the Breckenridge Nordic Center

• When: Select dates through mid-April, 2026
• Cost: $800 for up to eight people

Hop aboard the Prinoth Husky XC for a 4 p.m. jaunt, and you just might see a moose or a red fox on your way through the Cucumber Gulch Wildlife Preserve to Josie’s Cabin. After a stop at the historical mining hut for stories, s’mores, and Schnapps, you’ll travel along a trail lit only by headlights and the orbs above. Gaze out—and up—through floor-to-ceiling windows from the warmth of the snowcat’s heated cab.

3. Peak 9 Scenic Sleigh Ride with Breckenridge Stables

• When: Nightly through April 12, 2026
• Cost: $75 per adult

Snuggle with your SO under a wool blanket while two 16-hand draft horses tow your open sleigh across the snow-covered slopes of Peak 9, a scene that could double as the backdrop of a holiday Hallmark movie. Add the jagged Continental Divide in the background and a smattering of stars overhead, and you’re not in a rom-com; you’re in 35 minutes of heaven.

4. Astronomy Sky Quest with Mountain Top Explorium

• When: By appointment
• Cost: $500 for up to 15 people

Solve the mysteries behind those twinkling diamonds during an evening with “Astro Mark” Laurin. Best-suited for kiddos five and older, the 90-minute program—put on by Breckenridge’s children’s museum but held on the local Colorado Mountain College campus—includes a look through high-powered telescopes at interstellar jewels (the Pleiades, perhaps), ultimately equipping your budding Galileos to observe and appreciate the night sky on their own.

5. Breckenridge Dark Sky Tours with AstroTours

• When: Select dates year-round
• Cost: $57 per person

Neil deGrasse Tyson acolytes will appreciate this 105-minute, astrophysicist-led tour across the night sky, set on a deck outside Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center. Sessions start with a brief tutorial on how to use the 11-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope before your guide launches into explanations of phenomena like astronomical twilight (when stars and planets begin to be visible to the naked eye) and invites you to survey globular clusters, planetary nebulae, and the craters of the moon.

Read More: Your Guide to Stargazing in Colorado