April 2024, TX Solar Eclipse Planning?

[Isaac-1]

I know it is early, but I don't want to wait until it is only 8 months out and everything is booked up like I did for last summer's eclipse. Thankfully this eclipse will be a lot closer to home than the last one, also the path of totality will be much wider, and the totality will be longer, unfortunately it will be in April, so chances of being clouded out will be much higher. For those that don't know the April 2024 eclipse will have maximum totality in Mexico, then cross into south Texas, and run diagonally up to through Maine, with totality being visible in parts of 13 states and a few Canadian provinces. See Mexico - USA - 2024 April 8 Total Solar Eclipse - Interactive Google Map - Xavier Jubier for a google map of the path of totality. Thankfully this one will pass over a number of major cities, including the entirety of the DFW metroplex in Texas.


Living in Louisiana only about 200 miles from the edge of the path of totality I am mainly considering options in Texas, and possibly with backup plans in case of weather in Arkansas.


There are a few public campgrounds, state parks, etc near the center line, which I am considering, as well as numerous commercial campgrounds, which is where I hope to get your help.


Most rv park reviews are useless when it comes to deciding if a given commercial rv park would be a good solar eclipse observing location. Ideally I would want some place with open scenic views, and not too many trees, as well as reasonable spacing around rv sites.


Thankfully the path of totality in Texas passes through a few prime candidate areas that have a number of commercial RV parks / campgrounds. This includes the town of Rio Frio which has at least a dozen commercial RV campgrounds within a couple of miles mostly along the river, as well as Kerrville, Fredericksburg, and lake Buchanan in the hill country.



Any help you can offer narrowing down this list would be most welcome. Ideally I am looking for options within about 2-3 miles of the center line.


I may try to make a scouting trip out this area next year to narrow it down, though right now I am leaning towards Fredericksburg, it misses the center line by about 5 miles, and shortens totality by a couple of seconds vs the more southern options near Rio Frio,

[UTTransplant]

I believe in planning ahead for many things, but 5 1/2 years is a bit excessive for me. We will also be headed for the eclipse, but I will be looking for something about a year out. I prefer a boondock if at all possible and as far south as possible. You really have no clue what any Campground will be like in 5 years, and new ones may show up.

Note for last year’s eclipse we reserved a FS campsite in Idaho right on the totality zone about 6 months ahead.

[lo-tek]

Thanks for the map. It passes right through my back yard so if I'm still in this house in 2024 I'll be on a pool float

[CharlesinGA]

This same guy produced the map for the last eclipse, very good ones. I see that it passes a few hundred feet east of the campground at Crab Orchard Lake in Illinois, may be difficult to get a site. Sparta Ill, in the line of totality but a ways from the center line, has a state owned shooting park (kinda odd for Illinois) that has either 999 or 1001 RV parking spaces, and quite a few are regular RV sites and the rest are row after row of spaces, so I bet it will be crowded.

I was just north of Carhinge at Alliance NE for the one last year.

Charles

[powerboatr]

cool almost right over my head, as in about 15 miles from the blue line center

we are in yantis tx, we have lots of rv campgrounds on lake fork
FREAKING awesome




thanks