Lincoln County, Nevada: Tourism, Stars, and Dark Sky Preservation at Spring Valley State Park

Lincoln County, Nevada: Tourism, Stars, and Dark Sky Preservation at Spring Valley State Park.

On today’s episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series, we're chatting with Marcia Hurd, Executive Director for the Lincoln County Authority of Tourism in Nevada, and Dawn Andone, an Interpretive Ranger with Nevada State Parks. Together, they shine a light on Lincoln County’s remarkable dark sky preservation and awareness initiative—a passionate community effort to have Spring Valley State Park designated as an International Dark Sky Park.

You’ll hear about what makes Lincoln County such a special destination for stargazers, how the process of becoming a certified Dark Sky Park unfolds, and why the region’s unique public lands are being celebrated for both their scenic beauty and stunning night skies.

Marcia Hurd discusses her roles in tourism, while Dawn Andone shares her years of experience bringing nature and astronomy to life for park visitors. We’ll also discuss how these dark-sky efforts are boosting local tourism, the importance of community education on responsible lighting, and the variety of outdoor experiences awaiting visitors—day and night—in Lincoln County’s parks.

DISCUSSION

00:00 "Dark Sky Preservation Initiative"

04:36 "Appreciating Rural Dark Skies"

06:50 Spring Valley Dark Skies Plan

10:09 Reducing Light Pollution Awareness

13:28 "Protecting Wildlife with Dark Skies"

18:03 Lincoln County Dark Skies Experience

20:04 Expanding Astronomy Programs for Communities

26:24 Events Calendar & Holiday Activities

30:15 Spring Valley Park Details

32:32 "Aha Moments and Final Links"

35:36 RV Park Exploration Suggestion

38:09 "Starry Skies and Relaxation"

LEARN MORE

To learn more about the Lincoln County Authority of Tourism and the Dark Sky Park Initiative, visit their website at LincolnCountyNevada.com or on these social sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lincolncountynevada

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lincolnnv/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LincolnCountyNevada

To learn more about the Spring Valley State Park, visit their website at https://parks.nv.gov/parks/spring-valley.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NVStateParks

NEXT STEPS

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KEYWORDS

Lincoln County Authority of Tourism, Dark Sky Park Initiative, Spring Valley State Park, Nevada State Parks, Travel Nevada, Las Vegas Astronomical Society, Outdoor Adventure Series, Podcast Interview

#LincolnCountyAuthorityofTourism #DarkSkyParkInitiative #SpringValleyStatePark #TravelNevada #LVAS #OutdoorAdventureSeries #PodcastInterview

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