By Drew Reagan
Published December 20, 2024 by  DarkSky International & DarkSky Oregon

Wasco, Oregon

Cottonwood Canyon State Park in Oregon has been officially certified as an International Dark Sky Park by DarkSky International. This recognition makes it Oregon’s second state park to receive the certification and the state's sixth International Dark Sky Place. Other certified locations in Oregon include Prineville Reservoir State Park, Oregon Caves National Monument, Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary (Lake County), the town of Antelope Dark Sky Community, and the Sunriver International Dark Sky  Development of Distinction.

“The Dark Sky Committee was pleased to approve Cottonwood Canyon State Park, joining the family of dark places in Oregon. Their novel approach to education using interpretation panels and hands-on activities should prove an effective outreach method. Combined with good examples of good lighting – including lighting for the resident chickens – the Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a valuable resource for visitors and wildlife alike,” remarked Dan Oakley, chair of the International Dark Sky Places committee.

The effort, which started in 2020, spanned four years and included multiple park rangers and managers, with ongoing support from DarkSky Oregon. With the persistent work of David Spangler, Evan Siedl, Stan Petersen, Asa Miller, Scott Green, and our enthusiastic and dedicated partners, including Michael McKeag of DarkSky Oregon, professional photographers Dawn and Brent Davis, and Rose City Astronomers volunteers, the longtime goal of becoming an International Dark Sky Park is now a reality.

Cottonwood Canyon State Park comprises over 16,000 acres of public land along the John Day River. The Park was purchased from the non-profit group Western Rivers Conservancy in 2011 to protect natural and cultural resources. Cottonwood is open year-round and offers 21 reservable campsites, 14 first-come tent-only sites, and four cabins. In addition to camping, Cottonwood also provides miles of hiking trails, hunting, fishing, rafting, and many other recreational opportunities along the beautiful John Day River. The Park is also one of Oregon’s naturally dark parks, remote and nestled among deep canyon walls, making it an ideal location to stargaze.
​
Cottonwood Canyon had many outdoor lights on buildings, so the journey to become a Dark Sky Park was no small task. Every light was inventoried, and non-compliant bulbs or fixtures were either removed or replaced with alternatives meeting DarkSky standards.  Interpretive signs were installed to educate visitors on protecting our dark skies while camping here. A sky quality meter, installed in December 2020, has been measuring and recording night sky brightness nightly since. Supplemental handheld meter measurements are made at additional locations periodically.  Public outreach star parties are held each new moon weekend in the summer months, including a ranger presentation on light pollution and night sky protection. Rose City Astronomers volunteers provide campers with telescope views of the wonders of the night sky. 

​We are committed to continually improving our Dark Sky interpretive programs and facilities. We will continue monitoring night sky quality and taking measures necessary to ensure this amazing resource is preserved for future generations to enjoy.

“As the former Manager and Ranger at Cottonwood Canyon State Park, I have always had the goal of seeing certification as an International Dark Sky Park. Cottonwood, with its unique location, is the perfect Oregon State Park to educate on the importance of dark skies and astronomy,” – David Spangler.

“I can speak for the rest of the staff that we are both ecstatic and grateful to have earned the International Dark Sky Park certification and will continue the work to protect our dark skies,” – Park Ranger Stanley Petersen.

“It has been a pleasure to work with the management and rangers at Cottonwood Canyon over the years. Cottonwood Canyon State Park is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered,” Michael McKeag, DarkSky Oregon.
​
“I’m very proud that Cottonwood Canyon is now the second Oregon State Park to receive the International Dark Sky Park Certification.  Cottonwood Canyon is a special place, but the true beauty of the Park is the magical display of the night sky,” – Park Manager Scott Green.

DarkSky Oregon is pleased to have played a significant role in this achievement. DarkSky International retains a global committee of experts who rigorously review dark sky place applications from around the world. For a deep dive, here is Cottonwood Canyon’s successful application for certification as an International Dark Sky Park.

The tiny town of Antelope is Oregon’s first Dark Sky Community
Updated: Dec. 08, 2024, 12:45 p.m. Originally Published: Dec. 06, 2024

​By  Samantha Swindler | The Oregonian/OregonLive

The tiny town of Antelope – population 37 – has become the first city in Oregon to receive a “Dark Sky Community” certification from DarkSky International.

Located in rural Wasco County in the north central part of the state, the town’s unofficial motto is, “Where you can see the Milky Way from Main Street.”

Antelope is the fifth location – but first city – in Oregon to receive a DarkSky International certification. The unincorporated community of Sunriver was the first, earning a “Development of Distinction” designation in 2020.

Prineville Reservoir was named a Dark Sky Park in 2021, and the Oregon Caves National Monument became a Dark Sky Park last month. Earlier this year, the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary was officially approved, spanning 2.5 million rural acres across southern Oregon.

The designations are given by DarkSky International, an organization dedicated to protecting the nighttime environment and preserving dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.
​
Antelope was incorporated in 1901, but Oregonians might know it best for the brief period in 1984-85 when members of the Rajneesh Movement moved to town and officially changed its name to Rajneesh.

By the end of 1985 – amid a failed assassination attempt and a mass poisoning attack in The Dalles – the religious movement fell apart, the Rajneesh followers left, and the town was renamed Antelope. The 2018 Netflix series “Wild Wild Country” brought the episode to an even wider audience.

“I really wanted to see Antelope be known for something better than that long past incident,” said Michael McKeag, a DarkSky Oregon co-founder who worked with the city on the designation. He attended an Antelope City Council meeting in August 2023 to talk about the process of becoming a Dark Sky city.

​“Knowing how small Antelope is, I was surprised at how full the room was,” he said. “After I finished my presentation, I figured, the response would be, ‘Well, that’s interesting. We’ll think about it.’ Instead, the response was, ‘How fast can we make it happen?’”

To get the certification, the city of Antelope adopted a new outdoor lighting ordinance, worked with Wasco Rural Electric to remove nonessential streetlights from town, and replaced the remaining streetlights with DarkSky approved fixtures that limit the amount of light pollution. Exposure to artificial nighttime lighting can disrupt wildlife and, studies show, negatively impact human health.

Over 16 months, the town recorded data on nighttime light levels and held outreach events to give residents free DarkSky-friendly outdoor light bulbs. The Rose City Astronomers club donated three telescopes to the community for “star parties” to get locals interested in the beauty of the night sky.
​
Becoming a Dark Sky Community is a long-term commitment, McKeag said, and requires the city to file annual reports on their continuing use of appropriate lighting practices and public outreach.
​
“You don’t just hang the plaque on the wall and call it done,” he said. “Each community or Dark Sky Place is taking on an ongoing obligation.”

 
Travel Oregon has encouraged rural communities like Antelope to go for the certification as a way to capture “astro-tourism.” McKeag is working with other cities, state parks and organizations interested in the DarkSky program.

He said Sisters is on track to become the next Oregon city to receive a certification.

“It’s our window into the rest of the universe we live in, and we’ve obscured that window through our use of outdoor lighting,” McKeag said. “A great majority of people on the planet can’t see the Milky Way, and maybe can only see the brightest stars from where they live. If they’re going to have an experience of a dark sky with the Milky Way and stars and planets plainly visible, they have to leave home and go someplace that still has dark skies, and those will be rural communities.”