Many of us are familiar with the lyrics of the old Gene Autry song, with: “the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas,” being the most famous refrain. The sad reality is that many Texans, along with 80% of all Americans, have never even seen the Milky Way, due to light pollution caused by stray light entering the upper atmosphere. Excessive exterior artificial light, emanating from everything from headlights and street lights to exterior lighting on homes and businesses, adversely affects our ability to see stars and other celestial objects.
Thankfully, there are still some places in Texas where you can see millions of stars at night (and even pitch a tent if you like), thanks both to their distance from large cities, and the efforts of groups such as the IDA (International Dark Sky Association). In this article we’ll look at some of our favorite places to camp in Texas under dark night skies, and why you might want to join us at one of these very special places.
Measuring the Darkness of Night Skies in Texas Parks
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s website has a list of many popular state parks, along with a corresponding rating on the Bortle scale, which is a measurement of the amount of man-made light pollution in the atmosphere. The smaller the number on the Bortle scale, the better chance you’ll have of seeing distant celestial objects, including the stars of our home galaxy – the Milky Way.
Those few places that rank less than a score of three on the Bortle scale are considered true “dark sky” locations. In Texas these include most of Big Bend National Park, along with several state parks, state natural areas and wildlife management areas which are listed below.
International Dark Sky Parks, State Natural Areas, and Wildlife Management Areas in Texas With Bortle Scale Ranking
Camping is available at the following parks in Texas which have the darkest night skies. The number listed after each park is the Bortle Scale ranking, with “1” being the darkest.
- Big Bend Ranch State Park* – 1
- Big Bend National Park* – 1
- Devils Sinkhole State Natural Area – 2
- Davis Mountains State Park – 2
- Devils River State Natural Area** – 2
- Seminole Canyon State Park – 2
- Kickapoo Cavern State Park – 2
- Caprock Canyons State Park – 2
- Copper Breaks State Park* – 2
*Designated as an IDA Dark Sky Park, **IDA Dark Sky Sanctuary
Our favorite of the spots listed above is Big Bend Ranch State Park, which is 311,000 acres in size and located in the rugged Chihuahuan desert, west of Big Bend National Park. While many of the best sites to camp and stargaze require a high-clearance vehicle, there are sites accessible by most passenger cars, as well as lodging at the Sauceda Bunkhouse, located near the visitor’s center.
Visitors to this part of West Texas should also be sure to pay a visit to the McDonald Observatory and the Rebecca Gale Telescope Park, located next to the visitor’s center, where evening star parties are regularly held.
Other Great Spots in Texas For Stargazing
Besides these great locations for stargazing, there are several other state parks in Texas with Bortle scale ratings of 3, (still considered very good), some of which are designated as International Dark Sky parks, inducing South Llano River State Park*, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area*, Lost Maples State Park, Balmorhea State Park and Colorado Bend State Park. Although not a state park, camping is allowed at the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area**, which borders Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande.
Black Gap Wildlife Management Area is in a very remote area of West Texas and has a Bortle scale rating of 1. Camping is allowed there on a first-come, first-served basis for holders of a Limited Public Use permit ($12). See the article Camping in Wildlife Management Areas for more info about this area.
The most recent park in Texas to receive Dark Sky status is the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and National Historic Site in Stonewall, TX, where camping is available. We don’t have the Bortle scale rating yet for this site, but it should be similar to nearby Enchanted Rock State Natural Area which has a rating of 3.
Getting The Most Out of Your Stay at an International Dark Sky Park
You’ll definitely want to bring along a good pair of binoculars or even a telescope if you’re lucky enough to have one, along with a zero-gravity chair for reclining and some warm clothes for cool nights. A small LED flashlight with a red lens is helpful in preserving your night vision. Stargazing apps, such as SkySafari, Stellarium, Star Walk and SkyView can be very helpful for identifying objects in the night sky.
Also, simply because an area ranks low on the Bortle scale doesn’t mean the stars will always be shining “big and bright” when you arrive. Be sure to check weather conditions for the park in advance for a better idea of what actual conditions are going to be like when you arrive.
Below: The Texas Department of Transportation has built a viewing area just east of Marfa, TX, where visitors can watch for a phenomenon known as the Marfa Lights. These mystery lights appear above the desert, sometimes move about and divide before disappearing. Many studies have been conducted, none offering any conclusive explanation for the lights.
Being a Good Dark Sky Camper
When camping anywhere in the great outdoors, especially in dark sky areas, it’s always best to keep campsite lighting to a minimum to reduce light pollution. This rules out things like stringing up solar lights around your campsite, or unnecessary use of bright lanterns and flashlights.
Before camping at a Dark Sky Park, be sure to learn how to change your vehicle’s automatic settings to prevent lights from turning on when doors are opened. (We ended up finally removing the bulbs from our Ford truck’s dome light on our last visit to Big Bend Ranch State Park, because the factory settings couldn’t be changed to keep lights from coming on.)
We hope that you’ll get the chance to get out and visit some of these amazing places in the Lone Star State. Our dark night skies are in danger of being lost forever, endangering not only countless species of wildlife that depend on darkness for survival and migration, but also our own spiritual and mental health and well-being. Hopefully we’ll see some more areas – including possible new state parks like the Chinati Mountains State Natural Area – joining the list of IDA Dark Sky Parks or Sanctuaries in the coming years.
Related Articles: Texas to Get Five New State Parks
Sources:
https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/light-pollution-and-astronomy-the-bortle-dark-sky-scale/
https://tpwd.texas.gov/spdest/programs/dark_skies/
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