Five Far-Out Trails for Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse
During the celestial spectacle on April 8, 2024, the moon will pass between the sun and Earth, plunging a swath of the world into temporary mid-day darkness. This total solar eclipse is a not-to-miss moment—with the next one not occurring in the continental United States again until 2044! As the moon’s shadow moves across the planet, an approximately 115-mile diameter of complete shadow called the path of totality will traverse the U.S. from Texas to Maine. Here, we list a handful of perfectly placed pathways to view this fabulous phenomenon. Remember your eclipse-rated proper eye protection!
Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail (Austin, Texas)
In the United States, total eclipse viewing will kick off in Texas, and a prime spot to check it out is the state’s capital of Austin. Centrally located and forming a nearly 15-mile loop around beautiful Lady Bird Lake, the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail is a natural choice. Bookended by city parks and providing access to beaches, the trail offers some great places to settle in for the big event.
But the eclipse isn’t the only thing to watch the skies for; Austin is also home to roughly 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, and from late March to early fall, you can watch for them at the trail’s Congress Avenue Bridge underpass, where they congregate (about mid-trail) and canvass the sky at sundown.
Eclipse Tips: Downtown Austin will experience 1 minute and 44 seconds of the total solar eclipse beginning at 1:36 p.m. Central time. Get ready by visiting the Austin Public Library to pick up free eclipse-viewing safety glasses, or purchase them for a nominal fee from the Austin Visitor Center.
Hot Springs National Park Trails (Hot Springs, Arkansas)
Only two national parks lie within the path of totality: One is Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park, and the other is Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Although one of the smallest national parks in the country, Hot Springs National Park offers a wealth of options for hiking and biking, such as the Sunset Trail, the park’s longest hiking path, which loops around the entire park. Even better, the park is free to visit—no entrance pass required.
Just south of the park, be sure to also check out the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail, a short, paved route beginning in downtown Hot Springs that heads southward largely paralleling its pretty namesake waterway.
Eclipse Tips: In the park, the totality will begin at 1:49 p.m. Central time and last 3 minutes and 41 seconds. If you’re joined by kiddos, have them pick up an Eclipse Explorer Junior Ranger activity booklet at the visitor center. Other eclipse-viewing events are planned around the city as well.
Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway (Cleveland, Ohio)
With Cleveland’s totality lasting nearly 4 minutes—one of the longest durations of any major city—it can’t be eclipsed as the place to be on April 8. To top it off, why not celebrate this special occurrence with actual NASA scientists? Cleveland’s Great Lakes Science Center, in partnership with NASA’s Glenn Research Center (named after former Astronaut John Glenn) will be hosting Total Eclipse Fest 2024 from April 6 to 8, and event admission is free.
Pedal to the festivities on the Cleveland Lakefront Bikeway, which will take you right to the science center’s doorstep. Extend your journey on the paved pathway as it traces the Lake Erie shoreline for 17 miles, connecting other attractions, parks, the downtown area and Cleveland suburbs.
Eclipse Tips: Cleveland will experience the totality beginning at 3:13 p.m. Eastern time and extending 3 minutes and 58 seconds.
Island Line Trail (Burlington, Vermont)
Viewing the total eclipse in Burlington is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; the last one occurred in Vermont nearly 100 years ago, in 1932. Perched on the Lake Champlain shoreline, the city offers a picturesque place to await the celestial show. Get a front-row seat along the 13.4-mile Island Line Trail—a Hall of Fame trail that traverses Oakledge Park, Waterfront Park and Leddy Park, all official eclipse-viewing sites for the city.
And, while April in Vermont is considered “mud season,” with most natural-surfaced trails in the state temporarily closed, the rail-trail is paved through Burlington and open year-round. Head north for the trail’s showstopper 3-mile causeway over the lake.
Eclipse Tips: At 3:26 p.m. Eastern time, the total eclipse will reach the city, lasting 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
Meduxnekeag River Trail (Houlton, Maine)
This is the last chance to see the total eclipse before it exits the United States in Houlton, Maine, and heads into Canada! Right in the heart of this small town, Riverfront Park will serve as an “Official Star Park” for totality viewing. Aptly named, the park also serves as the starting point for the scenic Meduxnekeag River Trail, a 4.4-mile gravel loop along the waterway’s wooded banks.
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