the Tracking stars

Ancient skywatchers of the Four Corners

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In this iconic region of the American Southwest, the night sky wasn't just observed – it was etched in stone. Taylor Hartman reports from an untouched paradise for stargazers San Juan County, Utah. I'm hiking deep inside Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, searching for calendars carved in rocks thousands of years ago. Here, in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico meet, it's almost impossible to describe how far the sky stretches and how many stars one can see. The lack of buildings or mountains doubles the size of the horizon, and roads seem to go on forever, the asphalt stretching on and on.

I follow a rough trail carved through piñon trees and sandstone towards River House Ruin, an ancient Ancestral Puebloan dwelling perched against the cliffs above the San Juan River. The Ancestral Puebloans, formerly called the Anasazi, were an indigenous people who lived in the Four Corners region for thousands of years, building intricate stone dwellings, cliff houses and complex communities that reflected a deep relationship with the land.

I realise the timing of my trip is perfect: it is International Dark Sky Week and here I am, standing in one of the best places to experience the world's rare, unspoiled nightscapes.

Just a stone's throw from where I'm hiking is Natural Bridges National Monument, which became the world's first International Dark Sky Park in 2007.

Since then, dozens of spots in the region have received similar status.

Whispers from history