Friends of Browns Canyon

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Salida, CO
Friends of Browns Canyon

FOBC protects and preserves the natural and cultural resources of the Monument through advocacy, education, and collaboration.

We unite conservation voices, engage the public, and work with agencies to ensure responsible stewardship and lasting impact.

06/11/2026

🌌 Browns Canyon National Monument is featured on Colorado's new Stargazing Trail!

As one of the state's certified International Dark Sky Parks, Browns Canyon offers incredible opportunities to experience star-filled skies, the Milky Way, and spectacular nighttime views. ✨

This statewide trail celebrates Colorado's best dark-sky destinations, including 13 Dark Sky Parks and 8 Dark Sky Communities, and highlights the importance of protecting our natural night skies for future generations. 🌠

Find more info at colorado.com/colorado-stargazing-trail

06/04/2026

🌙✨ June Night Sky Over Browns Canyon National Monument ✨🌙

June offers some great opportunities to explore the night sky! 🌌

🌑 New Moon: June 14 🌕 Full Moon: June 29

🪐 Planet Watch: Look west about 30 minutes after sunset to spot Mercury at its best viewing of the year! Bright Venus and Jupiter will help guide the way. On June 8–9, Venus and Jupiter will appear exceptionally close together in a beautiful planetary conjunction. ✨

⭐ Constellations to Find: Look overhead for Boötes and its bright star Arcturus, while Hercules and Corona Borealis stand out nearby. In the eastern sky, watch for Cygnus, Aquila, and Lyra, whose bright stars form the famous Summer Triangle. 🔺

🌠 Looking for the Milky Way? You'll need a clear, moonless night and a late wake-up call—around 2:00 a.m. is your best chance to see the galaxy's core.

🌌 Get outside, look up, and enjoy the incredible dark skies of Browns Canyon!

📸 Photo: Milky Way above Chesler Park by NPS/Emily Ogden

05/26/2026

Senator John Hickenlooper recently highlighted Browns Canyon National Monument in a The Denver Post op-ed defending America’s public lands and warning against efforts to weaken protections for places like Browns Canyon.

In the piece, Hickenlooper described Browns Canyon as “an antidote” to today’s divisive politics and emphasized the importance of protecting public lands for recreation, local economies, and future generations. He also raised concerns about recent efforts to roll back conservation policies and the confirmation of Steve Pearce as Director of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), citing Pearce’s past support for selling public lands and weakening environmental protections. Pearce was confirmed shortly after this op-ed was published.

Browns Canyon belongs to all of us — and we remain committed to protecting the Monument’s outstanding natural, cultural, wildlife, and recreation values for generations to come. 🌲🏔️🚣‍♀️🐏

Read the full op-ed at denverpost.com/2026/05/18/steve-pearce-blm-public-lands-rule/

05/22/2026

🌄 Last Friday, Friends of Browns Canyon welcomed 40 high school students from Des Moines, New Mexico to Browns Canyon National Monument! 🚌🌲

The students received a grant to visit a national park or monument — and chose Browns Canyon! 💚 Even more inspiring, they organized a “penny war” fundraiser at their school and donated the proceeds to Friends of Browns Canyon to support stewardship of the Monument. 🙌

📸 Photo 1: FOBC board member David Beaulieu giving students a lively description of what it’s like to flip a raft in the Arkansas River’s famous Seidel’s Suck Hole in BCNM. 🚣‍♂️💦
📸 Photo 2: Students and teachers enjoying a well-earned soak at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort after a full day exploring Browns Canyon. ♨️🏔️

Experiences like this highlight the value of sustainable tourism, outdoor education, and the positive impact our public lands have on local communities and businesses throughout Chaffee County. 🌿✨

🌲

05/20/2026

We had a great day celebrating Colorado Public Lands Day at Browns Canyon National Monument! 🌄💚

Participants learned about the history of CPLD, BCNM, and the work of the hosting organizations: Friends of Browns Canyon and Wild Connections.

We also discussed the growing threats facing our public lands, including attacks on National Monuments, the rescission of the BLM Public Lands Rule, efforts to roll back the Forest Service Roadless Rule, public lands sell-off proposals, and ongoing cuts to local Forest Service and BLM staffing and resources. ⚠️🌲

These impacts are already being felt locally. Last year, BCNM lost both its longtime BLM and Forest Service managers, along with decades of institutional knowledge.

Despite these challenges, participants left inspired and motivated to stand up for our shared public lands. 🙌🏔️

Learn more — and take action — at keepitpublic.co

05/14/2026

🌌✨ Join Friends of Browns Canyon for a FREE Dark Sky Stargazing Night on May 17 at Ruby Mountain in Browns Canyon National Monument!

🔭 Explore the night sky with telescopes provided by FOBC and learn how to navigate the stars with Victor Aziz. We’ll enjoy views of Venus, Jupiter, the Hercules Globular Cluster, and more under true dark skies! 🌠🪐

🕗 Arrive around sunset (8:10 PM)
📍 Ruby Mountain trailhead parking area
🪑 Bring camp chairs, snacks, water, warm layers, and red flashlights/headlamps only ❤️

⚠️ Attendance is limited to 15 people!
📩 Reserve your spot: [email protected]

📸 Photo by Joe Randall (Digital Art CO Photography )

05/12/2026

🥾🌄 Celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day with us & Wild Connections!

Only a couple of spots remain - Join us this Saturday, May 16 (9 AM–3 PM) for a scenic 4-mile hike in Browns Canyon National Monument to historic Chloride Camp and Quartz Mountain in the Aspen Ridge Roadless Area. Enjoy sweeping views of the Sawatch Range, Collegiate Peaks, and the iconic “Old Man in the Canyon” rock formation! 🏔️✨

Along the way, we’ll explore the history, wildlife, climate resilience, and importance of protecting Colorado’s public lands. 🌿🦅

🚗 Meet in Salida to carpool/caravan to the trailhead.
📩 To register or learn more: John Sztukowski 📞 (817) 939-4239 ✉️ [email protected]

05/07/2026

🌕✨ What’s in the Night Sky for May 2026? ✨🌌

May brings a rare treat — two Full Moons! This only occurs every 2-3 years. If you missed the May 1 Flower Moon, don’t worry. A seasonal Blue Moon arrives May 30–31 🌕

🪐 Look west after sunset to spot bright Jupiter shining in Gemini the Twins 👯♊

🔭 Featured constellations this month include:
🦁 Leo the Lion: in the western sky
🐍 Hydra the Sea Serpent: the largest of the 88 constellations, in the southern sky
👑 Boötes the Herdsman: high overhead
💪 Hercules: in the eastern sky

Leo is especially easy to find thanks to its famous “reverse question mark” shape ¿ anchored by the bright star Regulus ✨, the period in the ¿

🌌 Hoping to see the Milky Way? During normal evening hours it will be faint and low on the horizon. For the best views, head out around 2 AM and look east for that magical glow.

📸 Photo: Milky Way by FOBC board member Tom Karnuta

04/30/2026

🌌 How dark is “dark”? Turns out—it’s something you can actually measure.

A recent feature from My Colorado Parks explores how scientists measure night sky darkness—and highlights the incredible work happening at Browns Canyon National Monument.

Using specialized tools like sky quality meters, researchers can quantify darkness—where higher readings mean darker, more pristine skies.

But what really makes this story shine ✨ are the voices from Friends of Browns Canyon. Our board members help tell the story of why protecting natural darkness matters—not just for stargazing, but for wildlife, ecosystems, and the human experience of wonder.

Thanks to years of dedicated work led by Friends of Browns Canyon and partners, the Monument earned its designation as an International Dark Sky Park in 2024—a recognition of both its exceptional night skies and the community effort to protect them.

🌠 From measuring darkness to preserving it, this is conservation you can see—just look up.

👉 Read the full article: mycoloradoparks.com/things-to-do/natural-wonders/how-do-you-measure-darkness/

04/16/2026

🚧🌿 The Turret Road seasonal wildlife gate is officially OPEN for the season!

Friends of Browns Canyon was proud to partner with the Forest Service Salida Ranger District to help open this important access point.

Driving Turret Road offers stunning views of the Collegiate Peaks and Sawatch Range—and something even more special: access to expansive wilderness-quality lands on both sides of the road, made up of the FS Aspen Ridge Roadless Area. These landscapes are largely undeveloped, with no other permanent roads, providing critical habitat for wildlife and a rare opportunity to experience quiet, backcountry solitude 🌲🦌

At the end of the road, you’ll reach the BLM Browns Canyon Wilderness Study Area, where the route continues as a hike or horseback trail through rugged canyons, granite towers, and diverse ecosystems—all the way to the Ruby Mountain Trailhead! 🏞️🐎

From montane grasslands and mixed forests to dramatic rock formations and the Arkansas River corridor, this route showcases the full range of what makes Browns Canyon National Monument so special ✨

⚠️ Note: This is currently the ONLY seasonal wildlife gate open in the Browns Canyon area. The remaining gates are scheduled to open May 1.

Address

P. O. Box 343
Salida, CO
81201

Website

http://brownscanyon.org/

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