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Just make sure you have a valid fishing or hunting license before using Ramah or any other SWA. Not likely you would get hassled but it's always a possibility.
I've recently moved back to CSprings and was a CSAS member back when we started in the 80s. Badger Flats near Tarryall/Lake George used to be our standard observing area. Is it still a good site?
October 8, 2014
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Also recommend Ramah. It's actually a better Bortle scale blue zone rating than Mueller's green zone, and unless there are events going on at Mueller you have to contend with bright lights on the visitor center.
The only lights you really have at Ramah are flashing red lights on radio antenna towers across the highway, and they aren't bothersome.
Scott / Dave,
Thanks so much for your recommendation. We'll be staying in Monument, so it looks like a relatively straight shot over to Ramah SWA.
Thanks again! Bob
October 8, 2014
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Ramah SWA is where I like to go. It's 32 miles from my house on the East side of Colorado Springs and an easy drive with very little traffic through Falcon, Peyton and Calhan. It's about 6 miles East of Calhan on the Left side. Watch for the brown sign. It's easy to miss the turn as it isn't marked well which keeps people away! If you drive around to the North side of the Reservoir, the road will end at a fairly flat parking lot with a vault bathroom that is usually taken care of well. The place used to be used for waterfowl hunting so there are no park hours. I haven't found anyplace that has all of these amenities in a dark site location so close to Colorado Springs but outside the light bubble. Going the other direction (towards the mountains), there are some forest spaces that you can find some pretty decent skies outside of Woodland Park (such as the Mueller State Park visitor center parking lot) but you'll not have an open bathroom and may have to contend with some lights.
Dave
October 8, 2014
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Bob,
Although I personally have not observed there, I know that the Ramah State Wildlife Area (http://cpw.state.co.us/swa/Ramah%20SWA) near Ramah, CO is a place a few of our members like to go to for the dark skies there. It is a 65 minute drive from Colorado Springs east on Hwy 24 through Falcon, Peyton, and Calhan. A couple of other closer options are the newly opened Falcon Regional Park or the Homestead Ranch Regional Park, both east of Colorado Springs and north of Falcon and Peyton respectively. These two regional parks close at 11 pm and there is likely some type of area lighting to contend with. The Ramah State Wildlife Area does not post a closing time nor does it have lighting to my knowledge.
Scott
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