ICYMI: Solar Eclipse Over Oregon: Make Park Reservations April 19

Do you have a place to watch this summer's total solar eclipse? If not, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department may be able to help.

The OPRD will take reservations for roughly 1,000 campsites for the Aug. 21 solar eclipse beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 19. According to an OPRD statement, the 1,000 sites up for grabs are in addition to those that have been reserved since November 2016.

"We want to make this once-in-a-lifetime event available to as many campers as we can safely accommodate," OPRD spokesman Chris Havel said in the statement. "That's why we decided to add additional campsites, all at an affordable cost."

All sites have a three-night minimum stay requirement, with check-in on Aug. 18 and check-out Aug. 21. Prices range from $10 per night for a basic field or parking lot campsite to $31 per night for an RV spot with full hookups. All sites require an $8 nonrefundable reservation fee.

Participating parks vary in the amenities offered, such as flushing toilets and/or showers, which is reflected in the camping cost. For park details or to make a reservation, visit oregonstateparks.org or reserveamerica.com, or call the reservation line at 800-452-5687.

From Havel's statement:

The eclipse will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2017. The 60-mile wide path of totality –– when the moon completely blocks the sun –– will last for about two minutes starting at 10:15 a.m. on the coast between Newport and Lincoln City. The path of totality then sweeps through the state and on to Idaho, then runs across the United States toward South Carolina.

Available parks include:

• Coast: Beachside, Carl G. Washburne (both outside the path of totality);
• Willamette Valley: North Santiam, Cascadia (both in path of totality); Cascara Campground at Fall Creek Reservoir (outside the path of totality);
• Central and Eastern: Farewell Bend, Unity Lake, Clyde Holliday, and Bates (all in path of totality); Cottonwood Canyon, Catherine Creek, Ukiah-Dale, Minam, Red Bridge, Hilgard Junction, Lake Owyhee and Jasper Point (all outside path of totality);

and

• Coast: South Jetty at South Beach, Fogarty Creek, Driftwood Beach and Governor Patterson Memorial (all in path of totality);
• Valleys: Silver Falls, Willamette Mission (all in path of totality); Champoeg (on the edge of totality); Milo McIver (outside path of totality);
• Central and Eastern: Smith Rock, The Cove Palisades, Farewell Bend (in path of totality); Cottonwood Canyon (outside path of totality).

For more information, visit http://bit.ly/OregonStateParks2017Eclipse.

Image via Pixabay.com