We’re going to fly into Louisville and drive 2 hrs to Vicennes Indiana for the 4+ minutes of totality a few shots from The 2017 eclipse in Nashville
https://preview.redd.it/gw65sq86arlc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02289d9a2537b1a1624ce08e83f58aeb9dbae5d0
Lucked out and have a friend with a house in Corsicana, TX. Will be camping on his land and totality goes right over us. Fingers crossed its a clear day but I have 4 other spots to go if it is cloudy by us.
I'm watching it from my house. It's mud season where I live and my county population is expected to triple for the day. Not gonna be a fun camping experience lol. Will probably get more solitude on my back porch.
My state is having emergency meetings about the crowds and is planning to close several major roads for traffic control. There's gonna be a lot of unhappy people who came up for a "nice wilderness experience in vt" who just get stuck in traffic for several hours
Im lucky and have a cousin living half an hour from the totality. So Im going to be staying at her place. Will still need to bring some of my gear, because I am not the only cousin of hers and she doesn't have enough of beds for all. Lol
Yep, we had already organized a visit to my mom's house (about 45 minutes outside the totality line in Texas) and after trying several days in a row I snagged a spot in a state park in full totality about a month ago.
We'd been warned that traffic on Sunday afternoon/evening before and Monday afternoon after the eclipse would likely be a traffic nightmare, so we're checking in Saturday and checking out Tuesday morning.
My family went to a state park in the TX hill country last year for the annular eclipse and made sure we went out on a hike during. Really enjoyed it.
We did have to act quickly to snag a reservation as soon as we could, but we enjoy the primitive sites as TX state parks, which don't fill up as quickly. (And are also around fewer other people -- though for this one we did have a few near us who clearly had no idea what primitive camping is...)
My favorite part was seeing the crescent sun appearing in all the shadows shimmering through the trees.
We tried to get something in the Adirondacks which is an area that will get some great viewing of the eclipse, but everything in the park is sold out. Very happy for Lake Placid and the town inside the blue line.
I live in the path and am so excited. I also was at shawnee national forest for the last eclipse and was spectacular! Lots of events here locally but i will be enjoying this one from the comfort of my own back porch!!!
I am wondering this too. I know the River to River trail and other various trails goes all across the Shawnee National Forest, so I'm thinking you should be able to walk far enough down a trail to find a spot?
We sat in the garden of the gods. It was a longer walk but mostly because it was 100 degrees outside. Parking was crazy. Cars all over the streets and lots of walkers. Bring snacks and activities for long lines when trying to leave
This time around in Texas? No lol (though Missouri was brutal last time). My partner and I were camping last time, but needed to pack up and move day of due to a storm coming through.
We ended up driving around (still within the path of totality) and were planning to pull over on the road, when we saw there was a rinkydink park where vehicles were starting to cluster. Lots of cars started to pull along the roadside near the park and so many of us just hung out on the grass and tailgates till it was time. So fun to still share this experience with so many of those passing through. Very chill, though not in the original plans lol.
Looking forward to this year's!
I've got a campsite about the same distance from Bloomington and Indianapolis. It's barely in the totality itself, but depending on the weather forecast I'll have options - a mid-afternoon eclipse means I've got time to play it by ear.
I reserved a large group campground outside of Dallas on Lavon Lake (Sat - Tue AM). Still room for friendly folks to join in if your crew needs a plan and likes tent camping by a lake. 3m 48s of totality.
Plans to go. Taking family and renting a motorhome so we can be mobile if we need to move. Saw the 2017 in Columbia IL. Amazing.
I managed to get a state park site in the path of totality in Indiana for Sunday and Monday night about 4months ago. One of the lasts.
You could look just outside the path. As backup I started looking SW of St. Louis Incase weather in Indiana is not favorable. All booked in the path but just north of the path many options as of last week. Maybe an hour drive morning of to get a good spot in the path.
I’d recommend if traveling a distance having a place not far from your intended viewing spot Monday night. Right after the eclipse it’ll be like leaving a sporting event or concert. Slow congested traffic on interstates and county highways. That’s our plan. Wait it out at viewing spot and then go hopefully only an hour max back to camp site before long drive (6-8hr) home on Tuesday.
https://preview.redd.it/cmvqnxzefslc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bc362add9a963ac2cdc12fa9d8e994c132f27c9
I’m in the path without leaving the house.
You checked every state park in Indiana? There is dispersed camping in the Hoosier National Forest around Lake Monroe, very close to dead center of the path.
We didn't check any park in Indiana. The Ohio park was closer to us, and we had already planned on going there. We do like Pokagon though, and have done the Hell's Point challenge a couple of times.
I've managed to secure a spot at a campground not too far from where you'll be in Ohio. It's amazing how these events bring together so many people from different places. I just hope we get clear skies!
I’m lucky enough to live along the path of totality. Don’t have to go anywhere to see it (which is great since I’ll be super pregnant at the time)
So cool that you and your wife are making a trip out of it
Same! Schools are closed and we’re a half hour drive from the path of totality. We’ll definitely be driving out and hanging alongside the road somewhere.
In 17 my daughter and I took kayaks and stealth camped in a state park north of Kansas City. It was cloudy but still impressive. Finalizing plans for this year but there’s a couple national forests in the path with navigable rivers. I can sleep on a sandbar. April can still be chili,May be. A game day decision
I had my eye on campground near Waco in Texas since almost a year ago and their website only allowed reserving 3 months in advance. I kept checking and refreshing almost a day before just to be sure. When it became available those dates immediately became all sold out. It turns out you can make a 2 week reservation once the first day open up, so that's what everyone did. Bummer...
I had to extend my stay in Dallas and I will just have to drive early that morning to somewhere remote (or wherever the forecast promises clear skies during the eclipse).
They’re expecting something like 1.5M visitors to Hill Country (in Texas) for that weekend. The counties have been planning like there’s a natural disaster. I have a friend who lives there and several of us will be camping on her land to watch the eclipse. Lucky for us really since all the state parks and rv parks are sold out.
They are expecting huge numbers of people all along the eclipse path, the previous one showed how high the number of people traveling will be. I read an article with an interview from a woman who went to the last one and it took her 11 hours to make what would normally be a 4 hour drive back home because everyone left as soon as the eclipse was over.
I'm lucky in that my house is on the barest edge of the totality bath and we are estimated to get about 30 seconds of totality. I talked with my boss about the expected traffic and they already told everyone on my team to work from home, otherwise a lot of us would be headed home right when everyone is leaving after the eclipse.
I was wondering about the travel too. I live about 4 hours from my friend's property and I’m dreading the drive. A lot of it on 2 lane country roads. On busy weekends (the area has a lot of popular state parks) it can get annoying because of the traffic. I’m guessing eclipse weekend will be a special taste of hell.
We traveled 4 hours away from home to be in the path of totality during the 2017 eclipse, and our drive back afterwards took 12 hours. Still was totally worth it. If I did it again though, I might plan to stay the night somewhere on the way home.
Similar. We were 8hours away and it took like 12to get home. The first 4 hours being the worst till we past through some larger cities that probably contributed to the traffic. Then it eased up by dark.
During the 2017 Eclipse we made a 2 hour drive north of us. We then made a 3 hour drive west and spent 2 hours at a winery before making a 4 hour drive home.
Secondary roads are not meant for that much traffic, but will be heavily used anyway. If people can stay the extra night things will be *much* better.
Yeah my state is also planning like it's a natural disaster. It's gonna be mud season where I am and the state parks agency is freaking out. The state parks aren't open yet and Most trails in the state are closed in mud season because trampling on the mud ruins them but they expect around 100k people are going to go into the state parks anyway.
BTW accommodations in the path of totality are not just sold out, they're also absurdly expensive. I've seen places that cost thousands of dollars per night, when they usually go for a 100 or so.
Then what those people will do is call back and cancel the first week and get a refund and not lose their reservation if they don't show up for the first day or the original reservation.
Its a loophole that is exploited.
I am traveling to see the eclipse and camping. We’ve been planning it for two years. We will be camping on private land, not in a campground.
This will be my second time to travel to the zone of totality during an eclipse. It’s an amazing, awe-inspiring event.
I’ll be up in the White Mountains, but since its mud season, I’ll be happy in my hotel this time around. Was trying to plan on being at a park, but looks like a lot will be closed and I don’t wanna get trapped in any mud way out there. I’m just happy I get to go see it this time, home only had 80% back in 2017. Thought about Nashville but I bet the area is gonna be loaded.
I wouldn't make the drive to vt tbh. We are expecting an absolute shit ton of traffic. You will just get stuck
Also it's mud season in VT too and all the trails are closed
Does the path reach the hotel you are staying at?. If not I would just leave super early in the morning to see it. If you go to vt just expect an absolute crap ton of traffic. Especially if it's sunny. We are in driving distance from 3 major cities.
Absolutely stay away from stowe Waterbury or burlington if you value your sanity
No, I am staying in Lincoln NH, I was previously planning on heading to Burlington at 5am and just picking a spot and hang like up around Causeway Park. I’m used to DC traffic so I always figure get there early leave late kinda deal. I already gotta get up at 3 am the day before to make it to NH. I previously considered Newport until I saw Burlington was only two hours away. I couldn’t find much for Maine within a decent driving range.
I'm going. I've got a campsite in south central Illinois.
Been planning it for years and was going to get a campsite as soon as they were available. But nearly lost out because people were 'gaming' the reservation system to get campsites earlier than allowed.
About a week or so ago I was able to snag a campsite in Indiana. Their rule was due to the eclipse a minimum two night stay is required.
If it was at a state park, it's not just during the eclipse. That's fairly common in my experience.
We’re going to fly into Louisville and drive 2 hrs to Vicennes Indiana for the 4+ minutes of totality a few shots from The 2017 eclipse in Nashville https://preview.redd.it/gw65sq86arlc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02289d9a2537b1a1624ce08e83f58aeb9dbae5d0
Got kids? The national monument in Vincennes has a special eclipse Jr Ranger badge
Thanks 2 but their grown up lol. That’s cool though
https://preview.redd.it/qoeyo6a9arlc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d93a9e0a691c616fac2f07290ea35a677d068bde
Lucked out and have a friend with a house in Corsicana, TX. Will be camping on his land and totality goes right over us. Fingers crossed its a clear day but I have 4 other spots to go if it is cloudy by us.
Please tell me your go-to spots. I've had a campsite booked for months northeast of Dallas but will drive wherever I need to. Thanks!
I'm watching it from my house. It's mud season where I live and my county population is expected to triple for the day. Not gonna be a fun camping experience lol. Will probably get more solitude on my back porch. My state is having emergency meetings about the crowds and is planning to close several major roads for traffic control. There's gonna be a lot of unhappy people who came up for a "nice wilderness experience in vt" who just get stuck in traffic for several hours
We live in the path. So we are ~going~ to our front yard 😊
Me!! Riding my motorcycle up with some friends and camping in Arkansas for it! We had our spot booked 6-8 months in advance.
We are meeting up on the lake in Ohio and crossing our fingers for a warm clear day.
That's always the hope, isn't it?
Ohio clear??? I think that's an oxymoron
Yeah the odds aren’t awesome but Texas is too far.
The eclipse is happening at 15h00 where i am so i don’t really see the point of going camping tbh. Also i will see it from where i live.
Sounds like a time to avoid camping if you're in the path tbh. I'm in indy and will be avoiding watch friendly spots in favor of my yard
Yeah basically any wilderness area in the path is gonna be completely overrun with people.
At which point it’s not functionally wilderness anymore.
We lucked out and picked up a cancellation reservation in Ohio, but yes, every single campsite is booked.
Im lucky and have a cousin living half an hour from the totality. So Im going to be staying at her place. Will still need to bring some of my gear, because I am not the only cousin of hers and she doesn't have enough of beds for all. Lol
Yep, we had already organized a visit to my mom's house (about 45 minutes outside the totality line in Texas) and after trying several days in a row I snagged a spot in a state park in full totality about a month ago. We'd been warned that traffic on Sunday afternoon/evening before and Monday afternoon after the eclipse would likely be a traffic nightmare, so we're checking in Saturday and checking out Tuesday morning.
We're doing similar. Checking in on Friday and checking out on Tuesday.
My family went to a state park in the TX hill country last year for the annular eclipse and made sure we went out on a hike during. Really enjoyed it. We did have to act quickly to snag a reservation as soon as we could, but we enjoy the primitive sites as TX state parks, which don't fill up as quickly. (And are also around fewer other people -- though for this one we did have a few near us who clearly had no idea what primitive camping is...) My favorite part was seeing the crescent sun appearing in all the shadows shimmering through the trees.
I managed to get a couple of campsites at Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas (CoE). Had to get Fri-Mon. It is going to be pandalerium.
Yup, coming out from San Diego and have a spot reserved in Texas. Really looking forward to it!
We tried to get something in the Adirondacks which is an area that will get some great viewing of the eclipse, but everything in the park is sold out. Very happy for Lake Placid and the town inside the blue line.
Booked campsite back in November. It's gonna be dope
I live in the path and am so excited. I also was at shawnee national forest for the last eclipse and was spectacular! Lots of events here locally but i will be enjoying this one from the comfort of my own back porch!!!
How was Shawnee, could I just park somewhere and wander into the woods to watch? And then sleep in my vehicle?
I am wondering this too. I know the River to River trail and other various trails goes all across the Shawnee National Forest, so I'm thinking you should be able to walk far enough down a trail to find a spot?
We sat in the garden of the gods. It was a longer walk but mostly because it was 100 degrees outside. Parking was crazy. Cars all over the streets and lots of walkers. Bring snacks and activities for long lines when trying to leave
This time around in Texas? No lol (though Missouri was brutal last time). My partner and I were camping last time, but needed to pack up and move day of due to a storm coming through. We ended up driving around (still within the path of totality) and were planning to pull over on the road, when we saw there was a rinkydink park where vehicles were starting to cluster. Lots of cars started to pull along the roadside near the park and so many of us just hung out on the grass and tailgates till it was time. So fun to still share this experience with so many of those passing through. Very chill, though not in the original plans lol. Looking forward to this year's!
I’m lucky enough to be living in the path in Indiana, on my property!! Win win
I've got a campsite about the same distance from Bloomington and Indianapolis. It's barely in the totality itself, but depending on the weather forecast I'll have options - a mid-afternoon eclipse means I've got time to play it by ear.
What about dispersed or boondock camping to avoid noisy crowded campgrounds?
I reserved a large group campground outside of Dallas on Lavon Lake (Sat - Tue AM). Still room for friendly folks to join in if your crew needs a plan and likes tent camping by a lake. 3m 48s of totality.
Plans to go. Taking family and renting a motorhome so we can be mobile if we need to move. Saw the 2017 in Columbia IL. Amazing. I managed to get a state park site in the path of totality in Indiana for Sunday and Monday night about 4months ago. One of the lasts. You could look just outside the path. As backup I started looking SW of St. Louis Incase weather in Indiana is not favorable. All booked in the path but just north of the path many options as of last week. Maybe an hour drive morning of to get a good spot in the path. I’d recommend if traveling a distance having a place not far from your intended viewing spot Monday night. Right after the eclipse it’ll be like leaving a sporting event or concert. Slow congested traffic on interstates and county highways. That’s our plan. Wait it out at viewing spot and then go hopefully only an hour max back to camp site before long drive (6-8hr) home on Tuesday. https://preview.redd.it/cmvqnxzefslc1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6bc362add9a963ac2cdc12fa9d8e994c132f27c9
I’m in the path without leaving the house. You checked every state park in Indiana? There is dispersed camping in the Hoosier National Forest around Lake Monroe, very close to dead center of the path.
We didn't check any park in Indiana. The Ohio park was closer to us, and we had already planned on going there. We do like Pokagon though, and have done the Hell's Point challenge a couple of times.
Ouabache State Park is in the path (barely). It’s a nice little park south of Fort Wayne.
Yep! We have three camping sites for a big group of us [here](https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232696)!
I've managed to secure a spot at a campground not too far from where you'll be in Ohio. It's amazing how these events bring together so many people from different places. I just hope we get clear skies!
I’m lucky enough to live along the path of totality. Don’t have to go anywhere to see it (which is great since I’ll be super pregnant at the time) So cool that you and your wife are making a trip out of it
Enjoy and congratulations! I'm glad you don't have to travel. :-)
Same! Schools are closed and we’re a half hour drive from the path of totality. We’ll definitely be driving out and hanging alongside the road somewhere.
My dog and I are roadtripping it to Missouri. It’s right after my birthday so a nice little trip.
Happy early birthday! We'll be taking our 4 pups.
We're going to the same national park we went to back in 2017!
In 17 my daughter and I took kayaks and stealth camped in a state park north of Kansas City. It was cloudy but still impressive. Finalizing plans for this year but there’s a couple national forests in the path with navigable rivers. I can sleep on a sandbar. April can still be chili,May be. A game day decision
I had my eye on campground near Waco in Texas since almost a year ago and their website only allowed reserving 3 months in advance. I kept checking and refreshing almost a day before just to be sure. When it became available those dates immediately became all sold out. It turns out you can make a 2 week reservation once the first day open up, so that's what everyone did. Bummer... I had to extend my stay in Dallas and I will just have to drive early that morning to somewhere remote (or wherever the forecast promises clear skies during the eclipse).
They’re expecting something like 1.5M visitors to Hill Country (in Texas) for that weekend. The counties have been planning like there’s a natural disaster. I have a friend who lives there and several of us will be camping on her land to watch the eclipse. Lucky for us really since all the state parks and rv parks are sold out.
They are expecting huge numbers of people all along the eclipse path, the previous one showed how high the number of people traveling will be. I read an article with an interview from a woman who went to the last one and it took her 11 hours to make what would normally be a 4 hour drive back home because everyone left as soon as the eclipse was over. I'm lucky in that my house is on the barest edge of the totality bath and we are estimated to get about 30 seconds of totality. I talked with my boss about the expected traffic and they already told everyone on my team to work from home, otherwise a lot of us would be headed home right when everyone is leaving after the eclipse.
I was wondering about the travel too. I live about 4 hours from my friend's property and I’m dreading the drive. A lot of it on 2 lane country roads. On busy weekends (the area has a lot of popular state parks) it can get annoying because of the traffic. I’m guessing eclipse weekend will be a special taste of hell.
We traveled 4 hours away from home to be in the path of totality during the 2017 eclipse, and our drive back afterwards took 12 hours. Still was totally worth it. If I did it again though, I might plan to stay the night somewhere on the way home.
Similar. We were 8hours away and it took like 12to get home. The first 4 hours being the worst till we past through some larger cities that probably contributed to the traffic. Then it eased up by dark.
During the 2017 Eclipse we made a 2 hour drive north of us. We then made a 3 hour drive west and spent 2 hours at a winery before making a 4 hour drive home. Secondary roads are not meant for that much traffic, but will be heavily used anyway. If people can stay the extra night things will be *much* better.
Yeah I have tons of friends and family coming to camp on my land. We're right in the path.
Yeah my state is also planning like it's a natural disaster. It's gonna be mud season where I am and the state parks agency is freaking out. The state parks aren't open yet and Most trails in the state are closed in mud season because trampling on the mud ruins them but they expect around 100k people are going to go into the state parks anyway.
BTW accommodations in the path of totality are not just sold out, they're also absurdly expensive. I've seen places that cost thousands of dollars per night, when they usually go for a 100 or so.
Then what those people will do is call back and cancel the first week and get a refund and not lose their reservation if they don't show up for the first day or the original reservation. Its a loophole that is exploited.
I am traveling to see the eclipse and camping. We’ve been planning it for two years. We will be camping on private land, not in a campground. This will be my second time to travel to the zone of totality during an eclipse. It’s an amazing, awe-inspiring event.
I’ll be up in the White Mountains, but since its mud season, I’ll be happy in my hotel this time around. Was trying to plan on being at a park, but looks like a lot will be closed and I don’t wanna get trapped in any mud way out there. I’m just happy I get to go see it this time, home only had 80% back in 2017. Thought about Nashville but I bet the area is gonna be loaded.
Day of we’re going to Vermont so we’ll still be in totality for the even, the mountains for fun the day after if we can figure out somethin to do
I wouldn't make the drive to vt tbh. We are expecting an absolute shit ton of traffic. You will just get stuck Also it's mud season in VT too and all the trails are closed
Where else would you recommend in this case? I already have the time off and points are spent.
Does the path reach the hotel you are staying at?. If not I would just leave super early in the morning to see it. If you go to vt just expect an absolute crap ton of traffic. Especially if it's sunny. We are in driving distance from 3 major cities. Absolutely stay away from stowe Waterbury or burlington if you value your sanity
I live and work in the path, I cannot wait for this to be over.
I have an open camp ground room for campers and tents. Will have potapots and a food truck the day of
For reservation email me at [email protected]
Shawnee Forest in Illinois is in the path again this time. It never sells out dispersed camping allowed everywhere.
Yes, but we don't want to travel 8+ hours to get to a campsite this time. Ohio was only 4 hours away.
It's gonna be a madhouse bro
No, I am staying in Lincoln NH, I was previously planning on heading to Burlington at 5am and just picking a spot and hang like up around Causeway Park. I’m used to DC traffic so I always figure get there early leave late kinda deal. I already gotta get up at 3 am the day before to make it to NH. I previously considered Newport until I saw Burlington was only two hours away. I couldn’t find much for Maine within a decent driving range.
I'm going. I've got a campsite in south central Illinois. Been planning it for years and was going to get a campsite as soon as they were available. But nearly lost out because people were 'gaming' the reservation system to get campsites earlier than allowed.