Fort Griffin State Historical Park

Fort Griffin State Historical Park was a US Cavalry fort from 1867 to 1881 and is now of historical interest as well as a place popular for camping, fishing, hiking and stargazing. The park is generally not open at night, but it offers a monthly Star & Skies of Texas viewing party, which lasts about 2-3 hours. At those events it is allowed to stay in the park as long as you want and get unique shots using the fort buildings as a foreground. At other times, you can stay at the Fort Griffin Campground to enjoy the minimal light pollution. An EarthSky community member says: “Fort Griffin State Historic Site is one of the best dark sites to view the night skies near the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex. There is camping available and they host star parties most summer months with amateur astronomers.”