CAPT OF AN MD88 INADVERTENTLY RAN OFF THE END OF A TXWY DURING TAXI IN RESULTING IN BECOMING STRANDED AND REQUIRING A TUG TO PUSH BACK THE ACFT ONTO THE TXWY WHERE IT COULD TURN AND CONTINUE TO PARKING.

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UPON LNDG AT COS RWY 17R; WE EXITED THE RWY ONTO HIGHSPD TXWY C3. WE TURNED L ONTO TXWY H. I CONTINUED ON TXWY H TOWARD THE GATE. AS THE PLANE CAME TO THE END OF TXWY H; THE FO SHOUTED FOR ME TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE PLANE CAME TO A STOP ON THE CONCRETE APRON OF THE TXWY (INTXN OF TXWY P). I CONTACTED THE TWR AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE PRIOR TO ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE ACFT. ARPT PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON THE SCENE AND WE WERE INFORMED VIA RADIO THAT THE NOSE GEAR OF THE ACFT HAD KNOCKED OVER A TAXI LIGHT ON TXWY H. WE WERE ADVISED TO REMAIN IN PLACE; AND MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO TAXI THE ACFT FROM OUR CURRENT POS. I CONTACTED OUR OPS FOR A TUG. THE TUG CREW ARRIVED AND INSPECTED THE ACFT. THE CREW INFORMED US THAT THEY DID NOT OBSERVE ANY DAMAGE TO THE SHIP. THE TUG PUSHED THE PLANE BACK FAR ENOUGH SO THAT THE PLANE COULD MAKE A R TURN ONTO TXWY P. WE CONTINUED TO THE GATE. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED (NO RPTED INJURIES; PAX OR CREW); THE FO AND I INSPECTED THE ACFT WITH NO DAMAGE VISIBLE. WE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND CONTRACT MAINT CONFIRMED NO DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WHILE I HAD THE ARPT TAXI CHART (BACK OF 11-1) OUT; IT WAS DARK AND DIFFICULT TO READ. TXWYS H & G PARALLEL EACH OTHER WITH TXWY G GOING ALL THE WAY FROM RWY 17L TO RWY 17R AND TXWY H BEING INTERRUPTED BY GRASS BTWN TXWY P AND TXWY M. TAXIING UP A HILL ON OUR RTE; THERE IS A VISUAL ILLUSION THAT TXWY H IS CONTINUOUS ALMOST UNTIL REACHING TXWY P; AS YOU CAN SEE THE TXWY LIGHTS ON THE FAR SIDE; WITH NO APPARENT GAP; UNTIL ONLY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT FROM THE INTXN OF TXWY P. WE FLEW INTO COS 2 DAYS LATER IN DAY VMC AND TOOK THE SAME RTE IN AND CONFIRMED THIS ILLUSION; EVEN IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. I BELIEVE I WAS LOOKING UP (IN THE DISTANCE) AT THE CONTINUATION OF THE TXWY; EXPECTING TO CONTINUE TO TXWY N TO TURN IN TO THE RAMP. THE TWR; AS I RECALL; ONLY GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI TO THE RAMP; AS OPPOSED TO MORE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS (2 DAYS LATER) OF 'TAXI TO THE RAMP VIA TXWY H AND TXWY P.' THERE WERE NO GREEN TAXI CTRLINE LIGHTS (ONLY YELLOW PAINTED STRIPES). I WOULD RECOMMEND ADDING YELLOW OR RED STOP LIGHTS AT THE END OF TXWY H WHERE IT HAD ENDS INTO TXWY P (AND ALSO AT TXWY H AND TXWY M) IF NOT THE ADDITION OF GREEN CTRLINE TAXI LIGHTS. WHILE WE WERE ABLE TO STOP STRAIGHT AHEAD ON THE PAVEMENT; IF AN AIRPLANE WERE TAXIING FASTER THAN NORMAL (WE WEREN'T) THEY MIGHT EASILY END UP OFF THE PAVEMENT WITH ACFT DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE INJURY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: BOTH RPTRS STATED IN EFFECT THAT THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE DURING DAYLIGHT HRS WITH REGARD TO THE VISUAL ILLUSION CREATED BY THE UPHILL RISE OF THE TXWY TO ITS END UPON INTERCEPTING THE CROSS-TIE IN TXWY. THEY BOTH; THEREFORE; BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF CAUTION LIGHTING EVEN FOR THE DAYTIME THAT WOULD PREVENT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT. CAPT STATED THAT THE GND CTLR DURING A DAYLIGHT OP DID PROVIDE SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING TURNING TO THE INTERCEPTING TXWY DURING TAXI TO THE RAMP WHICH WAS NOT PROVIDED THE NIGHT OF THE INCIDENT BY THE COMBINED CTLR WORKING BOTH LCL AND GND CTL. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FREQUENT SNOW IN THE WINTER MAY COVER UP TXWY LIGHTING AND MARKINGS LIMITING THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. THE FO STATED THAT HE WAS INCLUDING THIS INCIDENT IN THE GND SCHOOL TRAINING REGARDING SPECIAL CONDITIONS AT THE AIRLINE'S SCHEDULED ARPTS.