The total solar eclipse sweeps across the country in early April. It’s a great time of year for early spring outdoor adventures in state parks – but only in the southernmost states in the eclipse’s path. The best state parks for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse have campgrounds and ample viewing locations for experiencing totality.
Historically, southwest Texas has the slightest chance of clouds in early April. Places in the Path of Totality between Texas and southern Illinois have a medium chance, while all other places have the highest chance. Daytime temperatures in early April are most comfortable in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Many state park campgrounds open for the season on April 1, just in time for the eclipse. These campgrounds typically feature full hook-ups for a comfortable weekend sleeping in nature. Just BYOT – bring your own tent or trailer.
What is the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse?
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon moves between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the sunlight and casting a shadow on the Earth. As the Earth, Moon, and Sun continue to move, the shadow sweeps across the Earth – called the Path of Totality.
Anyone in the Path of Totality experiences the eerie wonderment of Totality. Totality is the longest on the centerline of the eclipse. And for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, it’s the longest in southwest Texas.
The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is on Monday, April 8.
How to Safely View a Total Solar Eclipse
The only time it’s safe to look at the Sun during a total solar eclipse is during Totality, when the Moon completely blocks the sunlight. But it’s critical to wear solar eclipse glasses or use solar filters while looking at the partial eclipse before and after Totality. These specially designed glasses and filters comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard, allowing only 0.0032% of light to pass through.
During the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse, the American Astronomical Society found that Amazon was flooded with counterfeit solar eclipse glasses claiming to be compliant. The AAS compiled a list of verified suppliers of safe and compliant solar eclipse glasses to combat the dangerously fake glasses.
All my recommendations for solar eclipse glasses, solar binoculars, and solar telescopes below are made by suppliers verified by the American Astronomical Society.
Here are a few options for certified solar eclipse glasses:
Read More: Solar Eclipse Glasses, Binoculars, and Camera Filters for Safely Viewing a Total Solar Eclipse
How to Choose a Viewing Location
Photographers, scientists, and avid eclipse chasers will flock to southwest Texas to see the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse. That’s because they are looking for the slightest chance of clouds, the longest duration of totality, and the easiest travel logistics. Their sole purpose for traveling is to view the eclipse. But they will see nothing if it’s cloudy on Eclipse Day.
That’s why I think you should use the eclipse as an excuse to travel and not just travel for the eclipse.
Instead of choosing a place based on the best eclipse conditions, choose an exciting travel destination that gives you something to do over the preceding weekend.
Here’s what I recommend you consider when choosing a viewing location:
- Travel destination. Does the place you want to visit have things to do, like local shopping, outdoor recreation, and great places to eat? If the destination has a tourism office, you’ll likely find things to do.
- Historical cloudiness and weather. AccuWeather says places in southwest Texas have the slightest chance of clouds in early April. The further north along the Path of Totality, the greater the chance of clouds. Places northeast of Illinois have the highest chance of clouds.
- Duration of Totality. The duration is longest along the Centerline in Texas. However, it’s only a minute shorter – and almost 3.5 minutes long – along the Centerline in Maine.
- Travel logistics. Fortunately, it’s remarkably easy to travel to almost any place in the Path of Totality.
Read More: How to Plan a Trip to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Essential Eclipse Articles
Browse these essential eclipse articles to learn more about planning a trip to see the eclipse, solar eclipse glasses and other things to pack, and how to find lodging for the eclipse.
Map of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
How to use this map: Click the icon in the top-left corner to open the Map Legend, then click on any of the legend items to display more information. If you have a Google account, click the (very faint) star at the end of the map’s name to save this map to your account, then access the map from your smartphone during your trip.
Best State Parks to See the Eclipse
Lodging, outdoor recreation, and a great place to see the eclipse. These state parks are a one-stop destination for outdoor enthusiasts wanting to experience totality while surrounded by nature.
This list is in order by Start of Totality.
Hill Country State Natural Area in Texas
Partial Eclipse: 12:13 to 2:54 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:31:31 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 4 seconds
Find a viewing location for the eclipse in the 5,000-acre Hill Country State Natural Area. Explores dozens of hiking and horseback riding trails through rugged canyons and open prairies. You can enjoy peaceful spring camping if you don’t mind the primitive walk-in sites.
Read More: 27 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Texas
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Texas
Partial Eclipse: 12:16 to 2:56 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:33:27 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 25 seconds
Magical, mystical, and enchanted. Local legends aside, the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area could be one of the best places in Texas to see the total solar eclipse. A massive granite dome rises above the Texas Hill Country, giving eclipse chasers an unobstructed view of the big show. It’s about 15 miles north of Fredericksburg, so an easy drive there and back on Eclipse Day.
Read More: 27 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Texas
Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site in Texas
Partial Eclipse: 12:15 to 2:56 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:33:28 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 11 seconds
Not to be confused with the adjacent national park site, the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site preserves the site of an early German farm. Walk the 1.2 miles of trails and find a perfect place to watch the eclipse in the open fields. Visit the Sauer-Beckman Living History Farm to see demonstrations of 1800s farming techniques.
Read More: 27 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Texas
Lake Whitney State Park in Texas
Partial Eclipse: 12:20 to 3:00 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:38:15 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 20 seconds
The impressive Lake Whitney Dam impounds the Brazos River, creating a 23,000-acre reservoir with 225 miles of shoreline. Lake Whitney State Park features fishing, swimming, boating, and hiking – plenty of things to keep you occupied during a weekend getaway. There is plenty of room for visitors to spread out along the lakeshore to experience over four minutes of totality.
Read More: 27 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Texas
Cooper Lake State Park in Texas
Partial Eclipse: 12:25 to 3:05 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:43:13 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 18 seconds
About 15 miles north of Sulphur Springs, Cooper Lake State Park is one of the best places to watch the total solar eclipse across a peaceful lake. Doctors Creek on the north side of the lake has plenty of viewing locations along the lake’s shore. South Sulphur, on the south side of the lake, is a great place for spending the night with many waterfront campgrounds.
Read More: 27 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Texas
Mount Magazine State Park in Arkansas
Partial Eclipse: 12:32 to 3:09 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:49:19 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 3 minutes 54 seconds
Mount Magazine is the highest point in Arkansas at 2,753 feet, offering stunning vistas with a perfect view of the total solar eclipse. Mount Magazine Lodge is one of the most stunning places in the country to stay for the eclipse, sitting on the edge of a cliff with a perfect view for the eclipse. With outdoor adventures like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and rock climbing, Mount Magazine State Park is a one-stop place for weekend fun and eclipse viewing.
Read More: 9 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Arkansas
Lake Dardanelle State Park in Arkansas
Partial Eclipse: 12:33 to 3:10 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:50:02 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 9 seconds
Lake Dardanelle State Park surrounds a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River near Russellville. Fishing is a popular activity at the park, but it will most likely be too cold in the early spring to enjoy swimming at the park’s beach. Arrive early and stake out one of the waterfront picnic shelters with a great view of the total solar eclipse.
Read More: 9 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Arkansas
Lake Wappapello State Park in Missouri
Partial Eclipse: 12:40 to 3:16 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:56:38 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 11 seconds
Visitors at Lake Wappapello State Park will enjoy over 4 minutes of totality in southern Missouri. Outdoor recreation includes hiking, fishing, and kayaking on the peaceful lake. Spend the night in one of the park’s furnished cabins or campsite with full hook-ups.
Read More: 8 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Missouri
Giant City State Park in Illinois
Partial Eclipse: 12:42 to 3:18 p.m. (CDT)
Start of Totality: 1:59:12 p.m. (CDT)
Duration of Totality: 4 minutes 8 seconds
Giant City State Park in southern Illinois will experience over 4 minutes of totality. Spend the weekend practicing archery, hiking the trails, horseback riding, or rock climbing. The Giant City Lodge features comfortable rooms and an on-site restaurant. Or you could book a campsite with full hook-ups.
Read More: Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Illinois
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park in Ohio
Partial Eclipse: 1:54 to 4:25 p.m. (EDT)
Start of Totality: 3:09:11 p.m. (EDT)
Duration of Totality: 3 minutes 55 seconds
It was the world’s largest reservoir when the 13,000-acre Grand Lake was created for the Miami & Erie Canal. Grand Lake St. Marys State Park offers 52 miles of shoreline for sightseeing, hiking, and fishing. With such a tremendous space, it will be a great place to watch the eclipse with almost 4 minutes of totality.
Read More: 10 Best Places to See the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse in Ohio
Alternate State Parks to See the Eclipse
This list is in order by Start of Totality.
How to Get to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Traveling by Car
It’s easy to drive to the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse with dozens of interstate highways crisscrossing the Path of Totality. Interstates 10, 40, 70, 80, and 90 cross the nation through the eclipse path, connecting almost every state with viewing destinations.
But since most people traveling for the eclipse will travel by car, it will become increasingly difficult the closer the Eclipse Day. Friday evening and Saturday morning are the best times to drive to your destination before the eclipse, and Tuesday is the best day to drive out.
On Eclipse Day, plan for the driving time to be 2-3 times longer than a typical day. If you plan to spend the night before somewhere outside the Path of Totality, be ready to leave early to account for heavy traffic congestion. You can avoid much of the congestion after the eclipse if you wait about 2-3 hours before leaving your viewing location.
Things to Pack for Eclipse Day
Neatly folding your clothes into packing cubes and grabbing your travel tech bag is a good start to packing for any trip. But packing for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse isn’t like packing for a typical weekend getaway. It’s more like going to an outdoor concert that requires safety equipment.
Here are my suggestions for essential safety gear, chairs, power banks, outdoor games, and apps for seeing a total solar eclipse.
There are only 3 essential things to pack for a solar eclipse:
A quasi-essential thing to pack is a good power bank to keep your smartphone charged throughout the day. Some of these power banks have enough capacity to keep multiple devices charged:
- The Anker PowerCore III is a versatile power bank for Apple and Android phones. What I love most about this power bank is the wireless 10W Qi charger – simply set a compatible phone on top of the power bank, and it’s charging. There is no need to carry a charging cable. But the power bank also has an 18W USB-C and 15W USB-A port for additional charging options.
- The Anker Magnetic Battery only works with Apple MagSafe iPhones, but Wired
- wrote an article about adapting MagSafe products for Android phones. This power bank features a wireless MagSafe charger with an integrated stand – perfect for setting the phone upright to see the timer on Eclipse Day.
- The Anker Prime 20,000 mAh Power Bank is perfect for charging multiple devices on Eclipse Day. The hefty power bank features two 100W USB-C ports and a 65W USB-A port with a max 200W simultaneous charging capacity.
After packing the essentials for comfort, safety, and power, how about packing a few extra things for entertainment? Take one of these outdoor games for hours of fun while watching the partial eclipse slowly inch across the sky:
Finally, consider downloading some or all these apps that will be extremely useful during Eclipse Day:
- AccuWeather is my favorite app for tracking weather. The app is typically accurate and easy to use and has some great features you might find useful. Download on iOS or Android.
- If you insist on capturing eclipse photos with your smartphone, get the Camera+ 2 app. It’s one of the best camera apps, with many features and settings for getting the most out of your smartphone camera. Download on iOS or Android.
- Google Maps will be invaluable for spotting congested highways and finding alternate routes after watching the eclipse. It’s also a great tool to help you find public transportation to and from your viewing location. Download on iOS or Android.