Sun Valley Becomes America's First Dark Sky Certified Ski Resort

Sun Valley is now the first Dark Sky certified ski resort in America

Sun Valley, Idaho earned certification on Monday, 13 July through DarkSky International's DarkSky Approved Lodging & Resorts Program, becoming the first ski resort in the United States to meet the nonprofit's standards. The certification recognises the resort's outdoor lighting practices, environmental stewardship, and habitat protection.

What Dark Sky certification actually measures

DarkSky International is a global nonprofit that certifies locations based on how they manage light pollution and preserve views of the night sky, measuring human-made light levels and the steps taken to reduce them before deciding whether a site qualifies. Sun Valley is the first ski resort in the country to clear that bar. "At Sun Valley, the outdoors has always been at the center of the guest experience... Preserving the natural beauty of this place, including the night sky, is an important part of protecting what makes the experience here so special for future generations," CEO Pete Sonntag said.

Marking it with a meteor shower gondola ride

Sun Valley is celebrating the certification with an event timed to the peak of the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, running from 9 to 11pm on 12 August. A 125 US dollar ticket includes a ride on the Roundhouse Gondola up Bald Mountain, food and drinks, and guided astronomy programming led by experts - a chance to take in central Idaho's night sky under its newly certified conditions.