Entry No. 32 — the Colorado Springs file — filed under: hillside-star
Palmer Lake Star
Hand-built by volunteers in 1935 to lift Depression-era spirits, the Palmer Lake Star is a 457-foot-wide, five-pointed star outlined in LED lights across a 58-percent slope of Sundance Mountain — listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties and still lit every December plus special occasions, visible from I-25 for miles in either direction. A KKTV live broadcast confirmed it was lit for Memorial Day 2026, and a community Chili Supper lighting event ran November 29, 2025.
The story
In the summer of 1935, while the Great Depression gripped the Front Range, Mountain Utilities manager E.B. Jack convinced locals that a 457-foot-wide star on the 58-percent slope of Sundance Mountain would give travelers something to look at. Townsfolk hauled donated utility poles, wire cables, and light sockets up the mountain by hand—without a single power tool. To handle the incline, they even enlisted a local German Shepherd named Dizzy, fitting him with a custom pack to shuttle tools and hardware up to workers scrambling through the scrub oak.
When they threw the switch that first winter, perspective played a trick on them: a geometric star on a steep mountain face looks warped from the valley floor. Volunteers had to hike back up, tweaking post heights between three and eight feet tall and shifting light positions until the outline read straight from below. In 1937, the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department assumed custody of the star, funding its electrical bill and ongoing maintenance by throwing an annual town chili supper every November.
Now listed on the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties, thirty galvanized steel posts and roughly 90 LED bulbs span 1.5 acres of the hillside. It remains an offbeat piece of civic engineering—an electric constellation pinned to a rock face that you can spot from 30 miles away along Interstate 25.
What it's like
For the cleanest perspective, stay on the valley floor. The star reads best after dark from along Highway 105 or the town center, where the entire 457-foot outline resolves against the black silhouette of Sundance Mountain. If you want to stand among the steel posts and glowing bulbs, hike up from the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trailhead on Old Carriage Road—just note that the trailhead requires a day-use parking fee, dogs are banned, facilities are limited to vault toilets, and the small lot fills quickly on winter weekends. Time your visit for the Saturday after Thanksgiving to catch the town center's annual Chili Supper before the master switch flips at dusk.
The move: Drive up to Palmer Lake in late November or December for the annual Star Lighting and Chili Supper (held the Saturday after Thanksgiving at the town center), watch the hillside blaze to life after dark, then walk the short trail up Sundance Mountain to stand among the glowing posts — a strange, quiet, genuinely moving piece of small-town Americana that you can see from 30 miles away on I-25.
📍 Before you go The star sits on the west side of Palmer Lake, above the town center — reach it from the I-25 Monument exit, then go west on Highway 105 roughly three miles into the village. You don't have to climb anything to enjoy it: after dark it reads best from below, along Highway 105 or the valley floor, where the whole hillside lights at once. To stand among the glowing posts, hike up via the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trailhead on Old Carriage Road (small day-use parking fee, lot fills on weekends, no dogs, vault toilets only). Lighting season runs roughly the Saturday after Thanksgiving through December, so a clear winter evening is prime; pair it with the lakeside town's small cafes. Snow and seasonal access shift — check ahead.
- 📍 Palmer Lake
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 500 Highland Road, Palmer Lake, CO 80133
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Estemere — Just 0.3 miles away at the foot of Sundance Mountain, pair the hillside light display with a look at Palmer Lake's 1887 Queen Anne Victorian mansion.
- Colorado Pinball Pub — After viewing the mountain star from Highway 105, follow that same road 3.7 miles east into Monument for craft beers and rotating arcade machines.
- U.S. Air Force Academy Planetarium — Trade a man-made light show on the mountain for an 8K full-dome projection of the real night sky nine miles south down I-25.
- Devil's Head Lookout — If standing among structural posts on a mountain slope appeals to you, drive north to climb Colorado's last staffed historic fire lookout tower.
Good to know
When is the Palmer Lake Star lit?
It turns on at dusk and off at dawn every night from the Saturday after Thanksgiving through December. It is also illuminated for Memorial Day weekend, Veterans Day, and special town commemorations.
Can you hike up to the star?
Yes. You can reach the hillside posts via the Palmer Lake Reservoir Trailhead on Old Carriage Road. Expect a steep grade, a day-use parking fee, vault toilets, and a strict no-dogs policy.
How was the star built on a 58-percent slope?
Volunteers built it by hand in 1935 using discarded utility poles and manual tools. A German Shepherd named Dizzy wore a small pack to haul supplies up the mountain to the work crew.
How far away is the star visible?
Because of its 457-foot span and position high on Sundance Mountain, the glowing star can be seen for up to 30 miles in either direction along I-25.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: coloradoencyclopedia.org · Official site · kktv.com
last checked: 2026-06-07