Urban · TX, US
Shield Ranch Barton Creek
Shield Ranch is a 6,400-acre protected ranch about 18 miles west of downtown Austin, Texas, certified a DarkSky Urban Night Sky Place in 2024. It was the first such place in Texas, and a permanent monitor records sky brightness every 15 minutes. The Campsite at Shield Ranch hosts events with night sky programming; check shieldranch.com/events or call 512-476-4816, since general visiting hours are not published.
Official site (opens in new tab) View on OpenStreetMap (opens in new tab) Source (opens in new tab)
| Type | Urban |
| State / Province | TX |
| Country | United States |
| Nearest town | Austin |
| Certified | 2024 |
| Coordinates | 30.2960, -98.0103 |
| Source | https://darksky.org/places/shield-ranch-barton-creek/ (opens in new tab) |
Plan Your Night
Tonight’s moon
Waning Crescent
1% illuminated. Rises 5:25 AM CST. Sets 4:37 PM CST. Times are local to the park.
Next new moon
November 9, 2026
The darkest, best-for-stargazing night in the current lunar cycle. See the full trip planner for the next 12 months of new-moon windows.
Upcoming meteor showers
- Leonids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, November 17, 2026
- Geminids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, December 13, 2026
- Ursids Meteor Shower Peak 2026, December 22, 2026
5 nearest dark sky places
- Bee Cave · 6 km (4 mi)
- Milton Reimers Ranch Park · 13 km (8 mi)
- Dripping Springs, Texas · 14 km (9 mi)
- Jonestown, Texas · 22 km (14 mi)
- Wimberley Valley, Texas · 34 km (21 mi)