Oliver Guy, courtesy of Betsy Mizell
The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve.
Deep in the mountains of Central Idaho lies one of the darkest nighttime spots in the US.
The International Dark-Sky Association, a nonprofit led by two astronomers, has declared a 1,416-square-mile area in Idaho's Sawtooth National Recreation Area as the country's first gold-certified Dark Sky Reserve.
That means the central Idaho wilderness - along with the towns of Sun Valley, Ketchum, and Stanley - will remain one of the best places in the world to gaze up at the stars for generations to come.
The Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve was officially created in December, the brainchild of Stanley mayor Steve Botti and Steve Pauley, a retired doctor who has been pushing to preserve pristine night skies.
To become a Dark Sky Reserve, areas must meet certain minimum criteria - set by a council of astronomy experts - for nighttime sky quality and natural darkness, according to the International Dark-Sky Association's website. The Milky Way has to be easily visible at night, and there has to be minimal light pollution and little glare from existing lights.
Dark Sky Reserves must also have buy-in from the local community - there must be regulations and long-term planning commitments in place to reduce light pollution and establish low-glare lighting for any buildings in the reserve.
Check out some gorgeous pictures of Milky Way and other far-off celestial bodies as seen from Idaho's Dark Reserve: