Dr. T.K. Lawless Park's international dark-sky designation

Here is the claim that holds up: Dr. T.K. Lawless County Park is an International Dark Sky Park. DarkSky International records 2019 as the designation year and published the announcement in January 2020. The county places the park nine miles east of Cassopolis, near Vandalia in southwest Michigan.

The designation was about more than somebody calling the park dark. The work took more than two years. Outdoor lighting was changed to fully shielded LED fixtures with a color temperature of 3,000K or lower, and night-sky readings were recorded to show that the park met the program’s standards. The park also committed to public viewing nights and education.

It is a full county park by daylight, too. You can hike, mountain bike, cross-country ski, fish, play disc golf, use the picnic shelters, or bring children to the play equipment. The park is named for Chicago physician Dr. Theodore Kenneth Lawless, who posthumously deeded the land to Cass County in 1971.

One practical caution matters: a dark-sky designation does not promise round-the-clock access. Cass County says the park is open year-round but that hours are posted at the park. Check the posted hours and current program schedule before making an after-dark trip. Keep your headlights on while driving. Once you are safely parked, turn off white lights, use a dim red light if you have one, and give your eyes time to adjust.