April 22, 2025 - Thank you to the Washoe County Commission for its unanimous vote to proclaim April 21 – 28 International Dark Sky Week in Washoe County, home of some of the darkest skies in the country, including the Massacre Rim International Dark Sky Sanctuary.

The Gerlach Citizens Advisory Board voted to ask the County for the proclamation. But they have bigger plans. The Town of Gerlach, the gateway to northern Washoe's dark skies, will now pursue a Starry Skies Community certification from the Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation. Friends will support this effort and others across the state to preserve our precious dark skies.

Nevada is rich in public lands and so of course is rich in dark skies, those unlit swaths of amazing landscape that we all get to enjoy. We thank the Washoe County Commission for recognizing International Dark Sky Week. So to celebrate, be sure to get out there and look up. There's some amazing star gazing in Nevada.

Read the proclamation here. 

The Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary - photo by Kurt Kuznicki