Alternate headline: where to wish upon a shooting star.
In a adult metropolis like ours , often the only brightness level we see in the night sky beam down from hulk authority construction , Southwest Airlines flightszooming overhead , and neon sign tempt us intococktail densfor a blotto drum - aged Negroni . So when a major celestial event unfolds in the celestial sphere above , our urban disadvantages make themselves known . Light pollution limits not only the numeral of planets , stars , andadorable extraterrestrial riding in wheel basketswe can see in the distance , but it also dulls the brightness of the ones we in reality can see .
Fortunately , post survive across DFW — and within a two - hour drive or less — where the relative farness take out the salutary of our small corner of the cosmos . While we only have one formally designatedDark Sky Communityin North Texas , you may always road slip to one of nearly 20 Dark Sky Sanctuaries , Reserves , Parks , and Communities elsewhere in the Lone Star State .
This weekend , the Perseids shooting star shower down bursts into the northern hemisphere with up to 150 shooting star per time of day at the peak , which is expected to come early in the morning hours of Sunday , August 13 . A handful of ace party provide you to mix and mingle with fellow stargazers , as well as get a bit of insight into the science behind what you ’re witnessing from local astronomers . Options start the night of Saturday , August 12 atDinosaur Valley State Park , Frisco Commons Park , Lewisville Lake , Cooper Lake State Park , orHubbard Lakes .
Courtesy of University of North Texas Rafes Urban Astronomy Center
We ’ve gather 10 nearby option for escaping the brilliant lights of the freehanded urban center tostargazeand set up them according to aloofness from downtown Dallas . Caffeinate sufficiently because you could be in for a really belated night , but a truly memorable one to be sure .
The Best Spots to Stargaze in and Around Dallas
Harry S Moss Park
Vickery MeadowLocated on the White Rock Creek Greenbelt , this park has a few fields with slightly higher elevations . Nearby tree diagram canopies and open spaces in these sections make for one of the best spots in the heart of the city to get a better view of the night sky . space : 9.9 miles
Cedar Hill State Park
Cedar HillIf you only visit Cedar Hill State Park once in a low-spirited moon , you ’re in near company . The state car park offers regular night hikes during the blue moonshine and the dark of the area makes for splendid configuration hunting . Book a campsite , take a boat out onto Joe Pool Lake , or lie back on the shoreline to get three altogether different perspectives . length : 18.2 miles
Frisco Commons Park
FriscoHome to theTexas Astronomical Society’sFrisco Starfeston the 2d Saturday of each month , this 63 - acre park has become pop for stargazing . unluckily , the park closes 30 minute after sundown on non - starring party nights , so you may have to find a touch on the outskirts to forefend any kind of fines or unrelenting reprimands . Distance:28.5 miles
Tandy Hills Natural Area
Fort WorthThis 155 - Akka complex of contiguous parkland offers great hiking and chances to fawn over plant during the daylight , but the southernmost distant sections bring themselves well to night viewing . In cooperation with theFort Worth Astronomical Society , the park presents frequentPrairie Sky and Star Partiesthroughout the year . length : 29.4 miles
Lakewood Village Park
Lakewood VillageNot to be mix up with the shopping center in East Dallas , Lakewood Village lie to the due north of the metropolis on the shore of Lake Lewisville and Little Elm Creek . The town holds the purity of being the onlyInternational Dark Sky Communityin the straightaway DFW area , a appellation it realize in 2019 . Watch from the park , or venture toward the water in nearly any direction for unobstructed views of the sky and minimal light interference . space : 35.3 miles
Rafes Urban Astronomy Center
DentonEvery first and third Saturday of the month , this University of North Texas College of Science / Department of Physics - go observatory legion public star political party . On other nights of the year , you’re able to head toward the astronomy centre and park off - property to find your own plaza to look toward infinity and beyond . Distance : 49.4 mile
Lake Tawakoni State Park
Wills PointWith a large beach feature unobstructed views to the north , Lake Tawakoni ’s remote locating and darkness make it a stargazer ’s dream . deliberate camping overnight ( or all weekend ) atSpring Point Campgroundso you do n’t have to haul yourself back to Dallas in the wee hours of the sunrise . Distance : 64.4 naut mi
Hubbard City Lakes Park
Hill CountyTheCentral Texas Astronomical Societyhosts star political party at various locations in Central Texas , occasionally decently here at Hubbard City Lakes Park . boast some of the darkest sky in the part , on a clear , moonless night you may see an unbelievable amount of star and other things that go twinkle in the night . Distance : 74.9 naut mi
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Glen RoseMake a full day or weekend of your visit to the land where dinosaur once vagabond ( presumably with prehistoric cowboy saddle atop).Hike , swim , fish , check for wildlife , and Richard Morris Hunt for dinosaur tracks during the day then stick around after sunset for the show in the sky . stick around overnight in acampsite with electricityor scratchy it a little less with a bed and gentle wind - conditioning in one of Glen Rose ’s many lodging option . Distance : 79.6 nautical mile
Cooper Lake State Park
CooperFor the good opinion of every luminosity the nighttime has to offer , take a boat or float out onto Jim Chapman Lake and gaze skyward . And if you just so encounter to have a knight , you could bring him , too , for a higher vantage point to see what you came to see . Distance : 87 mile
