State parks managers in Texas are bracing for throngs of visitors expected in mid-October to see a rare celestial event.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is recommending that travelers book reservations well in advance to visit 17 Texas state parks that will find themselves in the path of an October 14 annular solar eclipse. In an annular solar eclipse, the moon is seen as slightly smaller than the sun in the sky, resulting in a sort of “ring of fire” appearing as the moon passes directly in front of the sun.
A total solar eclipse will cross Texas on April 8, 2024. But first, the state park system will be forced to manage a large influx of sightseers hoping to catch the annular eclipse on Saturday, October 14 of this year.
TWPD warns that available spaces will fill up quickly.
“Visitors planning to visit state parks along the path are highly encouraged to reserve a day pass in advance since they will likely reach capacity,” the agency said in a release.
TPWD says that only visitors with pre-booked day passes or camping permits will be allowed entry to the 17 Texas state parks that lie in or closest to the path of the forthcoming annular solar eclipse. The list of parks where entry will be restricted that day includes popular sites such as the Monahans Sandhills near Midland-Odessa, Goose Island State Park, Mustang Island State Park, and Guadalupe River State Park near San Antonio.
“The moon will begin to block the sun around 10:20 am on October 14,” TPWD explains. “The ring of fire will appear around 11:41 am along the Texas-New Mexico border and follow a path southeast across Texas. Depending on where you are, this display will last from a few seconds to nearly five minutes. The closer you are to the middle of the eclipse’s path, the more time you’ll get to enjoy that ring of fire.”
Parks officials in Texas are expecting visitors from throughout the nation to travel to the Lone Star State just to witness the event. They say travelers planning to visit any of the 17 state parks in the eclipse’s path should expect heavy traffic and travel delays.
Access restrictions will likely be reintroduced for the April 2024 total solar eclipse. TPWD says 31 Texas state parks will find themselves in the path of that event, including huge draws like Enchanted Rock, Colorado Bend, and Pedernales Falls.
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