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What we do International Dark Sky Places

South Llano River State Park

"Camping Under The Stars" at South Llano River State Park. Photo by Amitabh Mukherjee.

About

South Llano River State Park is situated on approximately 1,050 hectares (2,600 acres) of land on the Edwards Plateau just east of the eponymous South Llano River in west-central Texas, U.S. The area has seen at least 8,000 years of human inhabitation, with the first Europeans arriving in the mid-eighteenth century. By the early twentieth century, the current Park lands had become a private ranch run by the family of Walter White Buck, Sr. The Park remained in the Buck family until son Walter, Jr., donated the land to the State of Texas in the 1970s. In addition to learning about the history of the area, Park visitors now enjoy camping, picnicking, canoeing, tubing, swimming, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and bird watching.

Located at the edge of a vast pool of darkness ranging southwest to the Big Bend of the Rio Grande River, SLRSP has taken advantage of its natural nighttime darkness to draw more visitors with nighttime interpretive programming. Working with local governments, a regional nonprofit, and institutions of primary/secondary and post-secondary learning, the Park works actively to preserve its night sky resource and make the experience available to a wider range of people that may have otherwise visited this out-of-the-way park in the past.

Designated

2017

Category

Dark Sky Park

Address

1927 Park Road 73
Junction, TX 76849 USA
Google Maps

Contact

Rebecca Manning
Lorissa Digiacomo
Website
Tel.: 325-446-3994

Land Area

10.5 km2

Documents

Application
Press Release
Annual Reports