Texas has numerous state parks scattered north to south and east to west across the state. Some are perfect for stargazing, and others, for the astronomer interested in dark skies, are to be avoided.
The state parks are listed below, followed by a Bortle Scale Rating from one to nine. The scale rates the darkness of the sky based on a given number of celestial objects that can be seen in the sky. The lower the number the darker the skies. The information below came from Texas Parks and Wildlife.
A map to the parks is located here.
Davis Mountains State Park Area - Bortle Rating: 2 Photo by Ginger Wentrcek
| TEXAS STATE PARK | TEXAS REGION | LOCATION | BORTLE RATING |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Tuscola | 4.5 |
| Atlanta State Park | Pineywoods | near Atlanta | 4.5 |
| Balmorhea State Park | Big Bend Country | near Toyahvale | 2 |
| Barton Warnock Visitor Center | Big Bend Country | near Terlingua | 2 |
| Bastrop State Park | Prairies and Lakes | located in the Lost Pines area | 5 |
| Battleship Texas State Historic Site | Gulf Coast | near LaPorte | 9 |
| Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park | South Texas Plains | near Mission | 6 |
| Big Bend Ranch State Park | Big Bend Country | near Presidio | 1 |
| Big Spring State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Big Spring | 5 |
| Blanco State Park | Hill Country | near Blanco | 4.5 |
| Bonham State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Bonham | 4.5 |
| Brazos Bend State Park | Gulf Coast | near Needville | 5 |
| Buescher State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Smithville | 4.5 |
| Caddo Lake State Park | Pineywoods | near Karnack | 4.5 |
| Choke Canyon State Park - Calliham Unit | South Texas Plains | near Calliham | 4 |
| Choke Canyon State Park - South Shore Unit | South Texas Plains | near Calliham | 4.5 |
| Copper Breaks State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Quanah | 2 |
| Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway | Panhandle Plains | near Quitaque | 2 |
| Cedar Hill State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Cedar Hil | 8 |
| Cleburne State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Cleburne | 5 |
| Colorado Bend State Park | Hill Country | near Bend | 3 |
| Cooper Lake State Par | Prairies and Lakes | near Cooper | 4.5 |
| Daingerfield State Park | Pineywoods | near Daingerfield | 4.5 |
| Davis Mountains State Park | Big Bend Country | near Fort Davis | 2 |
| Devils River State Natural Area | Big Bend Country | near Del Rio | 2 |
| Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area | Hill Country | near Rocksprings | 2 |
| Dinosaur Valley State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Glen Rose | 4.5 |
| Eisenhower State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Denison | 5 |
| Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | Hill Country | near Fredericksburg | 3 |
| Estero Llano Grande State Park | South Texas Plains | near Weslaco | 6 |
| Fairfield Lake State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Fairfield | 4.5 |
| Falcon State Park | South Texas Plains | near Falcon Heights | 4.5 |
| Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site | Prairies and Lakes | near Anderson | 4.5 |
| Fort Boggy State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Centerville | 4 |
| Fort Leaton State Historic Site | Big Bend Country | near Del Rio | 4 |
| Fort Parker State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Mexia | 4.5 |
| Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway |
Panhandle Plains | Near Jacksboro | 4.5 |
| Franklin Mountains State Park | Big Bend Country | near El Paso | 5 |
| Galveston Island State Park | Gulf Coast | near Jamaica Beach | 5 |
| Garner State Park | Hill Country | near Concan | 4 |
| Goliad State Park and Historic Site | South Texas Plains | near Goliad | 4.5 |
| Goose Island State Park | Gulf Coast | near Rockport | 4.5 |
| Government Canyon State Natural Area | Hill Country | near San Antonio | 6 |
| Guadalupe River State Park | Hill Country | near Spring Branch | 4.5 |
| Hill Country State Natural Area | Hill Country | 4 | |
| Honey Creek State Natural Area | Hill Country | near Spring Branch | 5 |
| Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site | Big Bend Country | near El Paso | 4.5 |
| Huntsville State Park | Pineywoods | near Huntsville | 4.5 |
| Indian Lodge | Big Bend Country | near Fort Davis | 2 |
| Inks Lake State Park | Hill Country | near Burnet | 4.5 |
| Kickapoo Cavern State Park | Hill Country | near Brackettville | 2 |
| Lake Arrowhead State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Wichita Fall | 4.5 |
| Lake Bob Sandlin State Park | Pineywoods | near Pittsburg | 4.5 |
| Lake Brownwood State Park | Hill Country | near Lake Brownwood | 4.5 |
| Lake Casa Blanca International State Park | South Texas Plains | near Laredo | 7 |
| Lake Colorado City State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Colorado City | 4 |
| Lake Corpus Christi State Park | Gulf Coast | near Mathis | 4.5 |
| Lake Livingston State Park | Pineywoods | near Livingston | 4.5 |
| Lake Mineral Wells State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Mineral Wells | 4.5 |
| Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway-Birch Creek Unit | Prairies and Lakes | near Somerville | 4.5 |
| Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway-Nails Creek Unit | Prairies and Lakes | near Ledbetter | 4.5 |
| Lake Tawakoni State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Wills Point | 4.5 |
| Lake Whitney State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Whitney | 4.5 |
| Lipantitlan State Historic Site | Gulf Coast | near Orange Grove | 4.5 |
| Lockhart State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Lockhart | 5 |
| Longhorn Caverns State Park | Hill Country | near Burnet | 4.5 |
| Lost Maples State Park | Hill Country | near Vanderpool | 3 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site | Hill Country | near Stonewall | 4 |
| Martin Creek Lake State Park | Pineywoods | near Tatum | 4.5 |
| Martin Dies, Jr. State Park | Pineywoods | near Jasper | 4 |
| McKinney Falls State Park | Hill Country | near Austin | 7 |
| Meridian State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Meridian | 4 |
| Mission Tejas State Park | Pineywoods | near Grapeland | 4 |
| Monahans Sandhills State Park | Big Bend Country | near Monahans | 4 |
| Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites | Prairies and Lakes | near La Grange | 4.5 |
| Mother Neff State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Moody | 4.5 |
| Mustang Island State Park | Gulf Coast | east of Corpus Christi | 4.5 |
| Old Tunnel State Park | Hill Country | near Fredericksburg | 4 |
| Palmetto State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Gonzales | 4.5 |
| Palo Duro Canyon State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Canyon | 4 |
| Pedernales Falls State Park | Hill Country | in Blanco county | 4.5 |
| Port Isabel Lighthouse State Historic Site | Gulf Coast | near Port Isabel | 5 |
| Possum Kingdom State Park | Panhandle Plains | near Graham | 4 |
| Purtis Creek State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near Eustace | 4.5 |
| Ray Roberts Lake State Park-Isle de Bois Unit | Prairies and Lakes | near Pilot Point | 5 |
| Ray Roberts Lake State Park-Johnson Branch Unit | Prairies and Lakes | near Valley View | 5 |
| Resaca de la Palma State Park | South Texas Plains | near Brownsville | 6 |
| San Angelo State Park | Panhandle Plains | near San Angelo | 5 |
| San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site | Gulf Coast | near LaPorte | 9 |
| Sea Rim State Park | Gulf Coast | near Sabine Pass | 4.5 |
| Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site | Big Bend Country | near Comstock | 2 |
| Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Center | Gulf Coast | near Houston | 8 |
| South Llano River State Park | Hill Country | near Tuscola | 3 |
| Stephen F. Austin State Park | Prairies and Lakes | near San Felipe | 5 |
| Tyler State Park | Pineywoods | near Tyler | 5 |
| Village Creek State Park | Pineywoods | near Lumberton | 5 |
| Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site | Prairies and Lakes | near Washington | 4.5 |
| Wyler Aerial Tramway | Big Bend Country | near El Paso | 9 |
McDonald Observatory, Ft. Davis, TX - Bortle Rating: 2 Photo by Ginger Wentrcek
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Coordinator - Randy Light, M.D.
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The Brazos Valley Astronomy Club is a non-profit group located in Bryan-College Station, Texas.
Our goal is to promote astronomy and related science as a hobby for people of all ages.