Texas Hill Country Birding
and Total Solar Eclipse

TRIP COST: $2250 per person
- $500 nonrefundable deposit to reserve your spot with the balance due on Feb. 1, 2024.

INCLUDED:

Eclipse viewing – one day dedicated to viewing Solar Eclipse Totality.

Guided birding – 2+ days of guided birding in the Texas Hill Country.

Rio Frio Bat Cave – tickets for viewing the bats on Apr. 6.

Lodging – 4 nights at the Rio Frio Treehouse plus one night in Amarillo on the way down and a night in Dalhart on the way home.

Transportation round trip from Boulder in a 12-person van.

Airport pickups and drop-offs at Denver

Meals – all meals from April 4-10 including groceries for stocking the kitchen at the Treehouse. (You are welcome to purchase your own food to store at the Treehouse as well.)

Optics – I will have a Kowa 99mm scope available throughout the tour.

Eclipse presentation from an accomplished umbraphile.

Eye protection – Eclipse-viewing safety glasses that meet ISO 12312-2 international standards.

Entrance fees to all state parks.

NOT INCLUDED:

Flights to Denver for those coming from out of town.

Lodging prior to or after the tour dates: Apr. 4-10.

Alcohol with meals. (As with food, you are welcome to purchase your own beverages and keep the at the Treehouse throughout our stay.)

Wednesday, Apr. 3
Arrive in Denver. For those coming from out of town, I’ll pick you up at the airport and take you to your lodging in the Boulder area.

Thursday, Apr. 4
We’ll load the van at 7:45 and depart Boulder by 8 a.m. We’ll stop in Lamar for lunch then continue to Amarillo, Texas where we’ll have dinner at the Texas Roadhouse and spend the night.

Night at La Quinta Inn.

Friday, Apr. 5
After breakfast, we’ll continue our drive to Utopia, stopping for lunch, perhaps in Snyder. In the afternoon we’ll arrive at the Rio Frio Treehouse, our home for the next four nights, situated virtually right on the eclipse centerline!

After we get settled into our rooms, we can spend some time exploring the property and then head into town for dinner at The Laurel Tree or another local restaurant.

Night at Rio Frio Treehouse.

Saturday, Apr. 6
This morning we’ll visit Lost Maples State Natural Area in search of the endemic Golden-cheeked Warbler, near-endemic Black-capped Vireo, and other migrants and Texas specialties. Black-crested Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Vermilion Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Hutton’s Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Painted Bunting and many, many warblers are possible.

After lunch, we’ll have time to relax at the Treehouse then have an early dinner before visiting the bat cave for an awesome spectacle! Beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until 9:30 we will witness the emergence of 12 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Hawks, falcons, owls and other predators may also be watching!

Night at Rio Frio Treehouse.

Sunday, Apr. 7
Today we’ll visit Garner State Park in search of the endemic Golden-cheeked Warbler, near-endemic Black-capped Vireo, and other migrants and Texas specialties. Olive Sparrow, Bell’s Vireo, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Inco Dove, and more.

After lunch, we’ll have the option of relaxing at the Treehouse or doing some nearby afternoon birding. In the evening we’ll hear a talk from an experienced umbraphile who has seen 13 total eclipses in 11 countries. He’ll brief us on this rare sun/moon convergence that we’ll experience the next morning, discuss tips for viewing and distribute eclipse glasses. Dinner will be at a local restaurant.

Night at Rio Frio Treehouse.

Monday, Apr. 8
Eclipse Day! We are located almost directly on the centerline, so we won’t need to experience the chaotic traffic, just sit back and enjoy!

We will have telescopes, solar projection boards and NASA-certified eclipse glasses to catch the very first nick out of the sun’s disk at 12:13 p.m. The moon will continue its perfectly aligned march over the sun to the breathtaking diamond ring effect, and then totality will begin at 1:30, when we can remove our glasses to take in the sun’s glimmering corona as we bask in the shadow of the moon for 4 minutes 23 seconds. There won’t be another total eclipse in North America for 21 years!

Night at Rio Frio Treehouse.

Tuesday, Apr. 9
In the morning we’ll load the van and begin our journey north, stopping for lunch on the way to Dalhart, Texas. We’ll have dinner at XIT Woodfire Grill and then turn in early.

Night at Holiday Inn Express or TBD.

Thursday, Apr. 10
We’ll depart Texas with a scenic drive through the Rita Blanca Grasslands as we make our way back to Boulder!

Please read through Rocky Mountain Birding terms and conditions here.