Texas Will See a Rare Total Solar Eclipse in April. Here’s How Not to Miss It.

Key eclipse information:

• What: a rare total solar eclipse
• When: April 8, 2024
• Time: Total eclipse between 1:30 and 1:45 PM CDT, depending on location 
• Where: Parts of Texas, including areas near DFW and Austin

Soon many Texans will get a once-in-a-generation chance to view a total solar eclipse, a rare event where the moon completely blocks the sun for a short span of time. 

The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, also now known as The Great North American Eclipse, will be the last one in the US until 2044. 

On April 8, 2024, parts of Mexico, The United States, and Canada will experience a total solar eclipse. You will need to be prepared and arrive at your viewing spot in advance because the eclipse will only last minutes.

The length of the eclipse will vary depending on your location, but the times will range from 3.5 to 4.3 minutes. Since this will be the last one in the US for many years, crowds are expected to visit the destinations in the path of the eclipse. 

Texas is a Top Destination for the Solar Eclipse, With Bookings Surging

Travelers are starting to make arrangements, which is unveiling some of the most popular destinations. Airbnb reported that they have seen a 1,000% surge in searches for this special event. 

Dallas and The Austin Hill Country, both of which are directly in the path, are in the top 5 most booked cities.

NASA has listed that Dallas will experience complete totality for 4 minutes, starting with the partial eclipse at 12:23 p.m. CDT and ending at 3:02 p.m. CDT. 

The Great American Eclipse Team also predicted that the majority of viewers will travel to Texas, which correlates to the recent data from Airbnb. According to this team’s predictions, Texas can anticipate anywhere from 270,000-1,080,000 visitors. 

Texas State Parks Require Pre-Booked Day Pass Reservations

There are a variety of locations across Dallas-Fort Worth and the Austin Hill Country that will be hosting events for the eclipse. If you plan to watch the eclipse at a Texas State Park, make sure to book your ticket in advance. 

Texas state parks will be requiring day pass reservations in advance for April 8th, 2024. There are 31 state parks that will be in the path of totality, so they are anticipating big crowds. 

Bookings opened in early March. 

Texas State Park Pass holders will also need to apply for the day pass, but pass holders will be able to have the day pass fees waived for everyone in the pass holder’s vehicle.

Texas Parks & Wildlife has released a complete list of parks that are in the path of totality for this rare April eclipse. Here are some of the parks near Dallas-Fort Worth and the Austin Hill Country:

State Parks Around Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex Where You Can View the Solar Eclipse

• Bonham State Park
• Cedar Hill State Park
• Lake Tawakoni State Park
• Purtis Creek State Park
• Tyler State Park

State Parks Around Austin Where You Can View the Solar Eclipse

• Blanco State Park
• Enchanted Rock State Natural Area
• Inks Lake State Park & Longhorn Caverns
• McKinney Falls State Park
• Pedernales Falls State Park

***

Are you planning a trip to Texas for the total eclipse? 

Make sure to check out some of our local guides to help prepare for your trip. All of these guides are written by a Dallas local. Get started with our Texas Travel Guide.