It’s taken three years, but Fountain Hills has finally been designated a Dark Sky Community, making it one of only a handful of communities worldwide to earn such a distinction.

What’s even more impressive is that, out of the 16 Dark Sky communities around the world, Fountain Hills is only the second to be located adjacent to a major metropolitan area.

Similar to Fountain Park and the annual art shows (just to name a couple examples), Dark Sky designation is one of those feathers in the hat of the community that has the potential to draw more folks than ever out to the hills. It means that our town is already a solid location to do some stargazing and, thanks to agreements/regulations created by the local Dark Sky Association and town government, it will remain as such.

Fountain Hills is already a draw for multiple communities, be they hikers, bikers, disc golfers, regular golfers or folks who just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Phoenix and Scottsdale. The stargazing community has grown in recent years, and we imagine this recent designation will only encourage additional growth.

We commend all of the folks who came together and turned their passion into a reality; a reality that will benefit all members of the community.