5280 Magazine

Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado. The magazine's stories often make national headlines, and since 2005 5280 has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Get 5280 Magazine digital subscription today.

5280 Magazine

BEHIND THE STORIES

SPOTLIGHT

ON 5280.COM

Back In The Saddle • The Great American Horse Drive rides again!

Encore • A drive-in movie theater’s second act could help revitalize the San Luis Valley.

CO-STARS • The Frontier Drive-In isn’t a solo show. Three more transplants are bringing fresh ideas to San Luis Valley towns.

Fast Tracks • Why one of the most promising hyperloop companies in the world is coming to Colorado.

Todo Es Historia • With the release of a first-of-its-kind cultural impact study, Denver takes a deep dive into its Latino community.

Disappearing Ink • There’s been a run on tattoo removals during the pandemic. One writer explains why.

Wash Park’s Secret Garden • How Lisa Negri turned some of the most coveted real estate in Denver into a xeriscaped pocket park.

ROLLING STONES • Unlock the mysteries of the Front Range’s premier rock gardens.

Taste Of The Isles • Enjoy pints flavored with Scotch bonnet chiles and durian fruit at Denver’s first Jamaican-inspired brewery.

Pasture To Platter • See how the sausage gets made—humanely and sustainably—at one Longmont farm before you buy it at this season’s farmers’ markets.

High & Dry • Climate change doesn’t just threaten Colorado’s trout; rising water temperatures are set to fundamentally alter the state’s fly-fishing industry.

STARS BRIGHT • Travelers are flocking to the West for what its wide-open spaces lack: light pollution. From savvy rural towns that have gone dark to attract stargazers to protected places where visitors can watch the constellations as the country’s original inhabitants did, we break down where—and how—to best enjoy the night sky in the Centennial State.

DESTINATION: DARKNESS • Westcliffe and Silver Cliff, which together make up Colorado’s first certified International Dark Sky Community, show how stargazing can be both a passion and a tourist attraction.

SHINING STARS • Colorado currently claims 15 of the world’s 196 International Dark Sky Places, which are broken down into categories with varying requirements for certification by the International Dark-Sky Association.

EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED • Why curbing light pollution is about so much more than seeing the stars.

CITY LIGHTS

THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE • Every International Dark Sky Place’s journey to certification is different, but southwestern Colorado’s Ridgway is an enlightening case study.

CAPTURING THE COSMOS • Bettymaya Foott’s title is director of engagement for the IDA—but the Durango resident also shares her passion for protecting the night sky in a less official capacity with the more than 6,300 people who follow her astrophotography account on Instagram (@bettymaya.foott). We asked her to teach us how to play paparazzi to a different kind of stars.

UNDER THE SUN • All of Colorado’s International Dark Sky Places—and some remote spots that aren’t officially certified—have stellar views at night. So, consider choosing your destination based on what you like to do during the daylight hours.

UNIVERSAL TRUTHS • Archaeological sites in Colorado contain many clues as to how closely ancient Indigenous peoples may have watched the skies—but in most cases, the exact intents behind their structures remain a mystery.

WRITTEN IN THE STARS • The stories of Greco-Roman gods aren’t the only ones hidden in the night sky.

NIGHT LIFE • Mark your 2022 calendar for some of the state’s best and brightest...