AUSTIN — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering a limited number of passes to members of the media at state parks during the upcoming solar eclipse.

Texas State Parks has 31 parks in the line of totality providing prime eclipse viewing, a partial eclipse will be visible in all other parks. Many state parks will host education and interactive events for visitors. For a full list of the parks in the path of the eclipse, visit Texas State Parks-Eclipse.

The eclipse will begin as the moon starts to block the sun around noon, April 8. Totality will begin at 1:30 p.m. near Del Rio and trace a line northeast across Texas. Totality will last from a few seconds to about 4.5 minutes, with only those in the path of totality getting the full eclipse experience.  Those outside of the eclipse’s path of totality will see a partial eclipse.

Passes will allow media to conduct interviews with staff, attend eclipse events hosted in the parks, capture footage and stills of visitors and film the eclipse in prime viewing locations across the state.

If interested in attending an eclipse event, please RSVP no later than end of day March 6 to the press office team at news@tpwd.texas.gov . RSVPs will be reserved in a “first come, first served” basis. When submitting the RSVP please include a list with the top three parks you would like to cover.