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Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
3 stays nearby →South Llano River State Park, a Dark Sky Park
A spring-fed river park with a big winter turkey roost and a Milky Way sky you can stay up for with a night activity pass.
- How dark?
- Dark · Milky Way overhead, hazy lower down
- Entry
- $5 per person 13+ · past 10 pm with the night activity fee
- Food & town
- Junction · about 5 mi
- Certified
- Dark Sky Park · 2017
How dark is it, really?
Dark enough to see the Milky Way overhead on a clear night, though glow from nearby towns washes out the sky near the horizon. (For the detail-minded: Bortle class 4, an estimate.)
When should I go?
Pick a night when the moon is down. The next stretch of moonless evenings is Nov 6–11.
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6–11 | None · darkest skies | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Leonids) |
| Dec 5–11 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | A sky full of stars, and extra shooting stars (Geminids) |
| Jan 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | A sky full of stars, and a meteor shower peak (Quadrantids) |
More dark windows, through Oct 2027
| Best nights | Moonlight | Worth staying up for |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2–8 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Mar 3–9 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Apr 2–8 | Mostly none · thin crescent on the edge nights | The Milky Way core |
| May 2–7 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core, and a meteor shower peak (Eta Aquariids) |
| Jun 1–5 | Thin crescent, rises late | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 1–6 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
| Jul 31–Aug 5 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core, and extra shooting stars (Southern Delta Aquariids and Perseids) |
| Aug 29–Sep 3 | None · darkest skies | The Milky Way core |
| Sep 27–Oct 3 | Thin crescent, sets early | The Milky Way core |
Computed from public astronomical data for this location. Updated monthly. How it's computed
Milky Way season here: Early Feb to late Oct. Out of season until early Feb. In season now, through late Oct.
Meteor showers ahead: Leonids on Nov 17–18 (half moon, sets around midnight), Geminids on Dec 13–14 (thin crescent, sets early), Ursids on Dec 22–23 (full moon, up all night), and Quadrantids on Jan 3–4 (thin crescent, rises late)Lyrids on Apr 22–23 (bright moon for most of the night)Eta Aquariids on May 5–6 (none · darkest skies)Southern Delta Aquariids on Jul 30–31 (thin crescent, rises late)Perseids on Aug 12–13 (bright moon for most of the night).
Email me before the next dark window at South Llano River State Park.
About one email a month, a few days before the moon goes dark: the dates here, the moonlight, and what's worth staying up for. Unsubscribe in one click.
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What it's like
Many people come to South Llano River State Park for the water: the river is spring-fed and slow, good for swimming, floating, paddling, and fishing. But the day doesn't have to end at sundown. The park is an International Dark Sky Park with a clear view of the Milky Way, and it has its own dark sky monitor, posting a sky-darkness reading every 15 minutes through the night.
The one thing to know before you go: stargazing past 10 pm needs the night activity fee, which you add when you pay your entry. Camping is the other way to stay out late. Most sites have water and electric hookups with a shower house nearby; there are also six walk-in sites and five primitive hike-in sites with a chemical toilet and no water.
The park is home to one of the largest turkey roosts in Central Texas. From October 1 through March 31, while the birds roost, the day-use area is open only from 10 am to 3 pm so people don't disturb them. Check the park's events page for star parties, and the Clear Sky Chart for the forecast. On the monitor, a reading above 21.5 magnitudes per square arcsecond means a very dark sky; above 22.5 usually means clouds.
Getting in after dark
Stargazing past 10 pm needs the night activity fee, added when you pay entry. A night activity fee of $5 per person aged 13 and older, per night, on top of the daily entrance fee, lets you stay to stargaze.
Food, fuel, and supplies
Junction, TX is about 5 mi away in a straight line, with groceries (Lowe's Market), 14 gas stations, and 18 places to eat on the map. Nearest places to eat on the map: Pizza Junction (about 5 mi), The Honey Bean (about 5 mi), and Gloria's Gonzales Cafe (about 5 mi).
Distances are straight-line and approximate. Places on the map may not be open. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
✓ Certification verified Jun 2026 against DarkSky International registry (Internet Archive capture) · entry fee and night permits from Texas Parks and Wildlife (Sep 2026) · after-dark access from Texas Parks and Wildlife (Sep 2026) · darkness: Bortle 4, estimated (Sep 2026) · nearest town from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) (Sep 2026)
Dark sky places near South Llano River State Park
For a trip with more than one dark night: the closest within 150 miles, nearest first. Distances are straight-line, not driving.
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