Looking to do some stargazing sometime soon? You’re in luck!
The bright city lights of Dallas and Fort Worth make it a little tricky to stargaze from the middle of town, but if you know where to go then you can still find some pretty amazing stargazing spots just minutes from your Dallas apartment!
From city parks to secluded lakes and ancient dinosaur valleys, here are some of our favorite places to stargaze around Dallas.
Great spots to see the night sky around Dallas
As a general rule of thumb, the best stargazing spots are the darkest and furthest from light pollution. That’s not always possible in a big metropolis like Dallas, but you can still find relatively dark spots by looking at light pollution maps or searching for nearby lakes, fields and other large areas without lights.
The Texas Astronomical Society is also a great resource for those looking for more specific information and helpful tips on stargazing here in Texas!
Here are a few popular spots you can go to stargaze around Dallas — as long as the skies are clear, of course!
Cedar Hill State Park
Distance: 30 minutes
While still fairly close to the city lights and hazy light pollution, the lake and secluded campgrounds offer visitors a pretty good place to glimpse the night sky from the quiet lake shores. The water provides a large, flat area undisturbed by lights, giving you the best chance to see the night sky while still within city limits.
Frisco Commons Park
Distance: 35 minutes
The Texas Astronomical Society hosts star parties here every month, making it a great opportunity to stargaze within city limits.
Of course, city light pollution limits the view here at Frisco Starfest, but it’s still a great place to show up and use some proper telescopes to see the planets, stars and other celestial objects in the sky high above Dallas.
Lewisville Lake
Distance: 45 minutes
Lewisville Lake is large and offers plenty of good spots for stargazing along its lengthy shoreline. If you can, grab a campsite somewhere and head out in the wee hours of the morning to see the night sky in all its glory over the dark waters.
Tandy Hills Natural Area
Distance: 45 minutes
The 160 acres of natural prairie create the perfect setting for the Fort Worth Astronomical Society’s monthly stargazing parties. The lack of light pollution and the flat landscape is the perfect setting for some serious night sky stargazing — all within less than an hour’s drive from Downtown Dallas and just 10 minutes from Fort Worth!
UNT Rafes Urban Astronomy Center
Distance: 1 hour
Another great location for a star party! The Rafes Urban Astronomy Center at the University of North Texas in Denton hosts an informative and in-depth stargazing event each month, packed with fascinating information on how our solar system works, where we are in the galaxy an, of course, all the amazing celestial objects we can glimpse from here on our tiny little Earth.
Lake Tawakoni State Park
Distance: 1 hour, 10 minutes
With vast skies open above the 37,879-acre scenic lake, Lake Tawakoni offers great stargazing opportunities for those willing to drive a little further outside of the city. Reserve a campsite for the night or weekend, then head out to the 5+ miles of scenic lakeshore to catch the best views of the dark, starry sky without any interference from city light pollution.
Hubbard City Lakes Park:
Distance: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Keep an eye out for the monthly Hubbard Lakes Star Party hosted by the Central Texas Astronomical Society — a free event which gives visitors a chance to check out the night sky using the CTAS’s collection of telescopes and, of course, the wealth of knowledge accumulated by the region’s most dedicated astronomers.
Cooper Lake State Park
Distance: 1 hour 20 minutes
The park occasionally puts on stargazing parties for visitors and observers, but you can also enjoy this quiet, dark patch of Texas landscape on your own if you book a campsite or cabin. Cooper Lake State Park is far enough from Dallas to get some nice, dark skies, but not so far that you can’t make an overnight trip of it.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Distance: 1 hour 30 minutes
If you’re serious about stargazing around North Texas, this is the place for you!
Located about an hour west of Fort Worth, Lake Mineral Wells State Park is at the edge of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex’s light pollution umbrella, giving you an opportunity to glimpse all the stars, galaxies and nebulae hiding behind the city haze. Book a cabin or campground here for a night of private stargazing, or attend the annual North Texas Star Party that, in years past, has attracted hundreds of people from all over the region.
Dinosaur Valley State Park
Distance: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Walk where the ancient Texan dinosaurs walked by day, then gaze up to the very same skies they saw by night. We may not have much in common with these long-gone beasts, but we have all walked and slept under the same Texas sky since the moment our little planet began.
If that’s not just super cool, we don't know what it is.
Happy stargazing!
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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/StockSnap
Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.
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