City of Rocks State Park
Grant County, New Mexico

In November 2007, I went searching for dark skies in southwestern New Mexico. How dark? Maximally dark. I passed up Water Canyon outside Magdalena in favor of Datil Well, sampled the skies above Quemado Lake (I'd had my eye on those for three years), tried the Casitas de Gila, and finished with a night at City of Rocks State Park. Oddly enough, some of the best photos the journey produced are of exactly what I was trying to avoid: the glow of distant, artificial light. More to come, but click on the thumbnails above to start at the ending.

davidcortner@pobox.com
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