Entry No. 18 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: outdoor
Green Mountain Falls Skyspace
“turn the framed sky into slow, hallucinatory color”
A permanent James Turrell "Skyspace" perched on Red Butte Mountain — a chamber with an oculus open to the sky that you reach on foot, where dawn and dusk light sequences turn the framed sky into slow, hallucinatory color.
The story
High above a 650-person hamlet in Teller and El Paso counties, someone built an 18-foot stone chamber out of Colorado quarry rock and beetle-kill pine. James Turrell, the light artist famous for carving an extinct volcano crater in Arizona, opened this permanent installation on Red Butte Mountain in 2022 via Green Box Arts. Perched at roughly 7,800 feet, it is Turrell’s first public Skyspace in a mountain setting and one of a rare few worldwide constructed with a motorized, retractable roof.
The core mechanism is an optical illusion engineered with math and light: a precision oculus cut into the ceiling framing a pristine patch of Colorado sky. Hidden LED fixtures lining the inner lip flood the interior with shifting, programmed color sequences—vibrant magenta, cobalt, and electric green—that deceive your optic nerve. Because your eyes perceive sky color relative to the lit interior rim, the open atmosphere through the aperture appears to solidify into painted velvet or dissolve into hallucinatory tones as dusk settles.
What makes this installation genuinely strange is the physical ritual required to experience it. You didn't hear it from us, but there is no drive-up door or gift shop at the top—you have to earn the light show on foot. And when mountain storms roll off Pikes Peak, the mechanical ceiling slides shut, converting the open-sky chamber into an enclosed, glowing lightbox hidden in the pine woods.
What it's like
Plan for a brisk 15-minute uphill trek that will hit your lungs if you aren't adjusted to 7,800 feet. Park in town near Gazebo Lake or the Joyland lot and take either the steep, direct Turrell Trail or the longer Pittman Trail up Red Butte. If you go during daylight outside show times, you can walk straight inside for free to sit on the stone benches and watch clouds pass overhead. For the main event—the 45-to-50-minute sunrise or sunset light sequences—you must reserve a $5 ticket online ahead of time, capped strictly at 25 people per session. Bring a warm jacket regardless of the season; sitting still on cold stone as daylight dies drops the interior temperature fast.
The move: Hike up Red Butte at dusk and lie back inside the Skyspace as the oculus frames the changing sky — free in daylight outside shows, $5 for the timed light sequence.
📍 Before you go The Skyspace sits in the Red Butte Recreation Area on the slope above the tiny village of Green Mountain Falls — there's no drive-up door, so plan to walk. Two trails climb to it: the Turrell/Lower trail (shorter but steep, behind Gazebo Lake) and the Pittman trail (longer and more scenic, from the Joyland lot). It's roughly a 15-minute uphill walk at about 7,800 feet, so pace for the altitude and bring water and a layer. Park in the Red Butte lots or on the street in town. Dawn and dusk are when the light sequences earn the climb; driving up is reservation-only, arranged ahead by email. Wander the walkable little town center afterward.
- 📍 Green Mountain Falls
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Red Butte Mountain, Green Mountain Falls, CO 80819
Hours: Free to visit on foot in daylight outside shows; timed shows $5. Vehicle access by reservation only, ≥48h ahead (skyspace@greenboxarts.org). Reached via two hiking trails.
Pair it with
- Rainbow Falls ("Graffiti Falls") — Follow up high-concept optical art on Red Butte with a drive down Highway 24 to Manitou Springs, where canyon walls under a road bridge are coated in layers of street art.
- Pancake Rocks Trail — Pair the short hike to the Skyspace with a longer trail further up the pass to see stacked granite rock formations carved by natural erosion.
- Cripple Creek Wild Donkey Herd — Contrast a quiet, high-design art installation with a trip west into Teller County's old mining district, where free-roaming burros wander the town streets.
Good to know
How do you reach the Skyspace?
You reach it on foot via two trails climbing Red Butte Mountain from town: the steep, direct Turrell Trail behind Gazebo Lake or the longer Pittman Trail starting at the Joyland parking lot. The walk takes about 15 minutes uphill at 7,800 feet.
Is there a fee to enter?
Entering during daylight outside of programmed shows is completely free. The timed 45-to-50-minute sunrise and sunset light sequences cost $5 per person and require advance online reservations.
What if someone in my group cannot hike up?
Vehicle access up the mountain is available for visitors with mobility needs, but it must be arranged at least 48 hours in advance by emailing skyspace@greenboxarts.org.
What happens during bad weather?
The installation features a retractable roof. If rain, snow, or heavy cloud cover moves in, the roof seals shut and the venue runs a 20-minute 'closed roof' projected light sequence instead.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · greenmountainfalls.colorado.gov · Atlas Obscura · rmpbs.org
last checked: 2026-06-04