These rules pertain to  anything you sleep in or on including open air cots, lawn chairs, under canopies, in sleeping bags on the ground and any vehicle that has wheels that you sleep in.  This includes cars, trucks, Recreation Vehicles (RVs) and popup-campers at the Texas Star Party that are not assigned to one of our regular RV slots.  If you are sleeping on the Ranch Property you have to pay the Ranch for each day/night you sleep on the Ranch.  Do not  sleep in your equipment  tent and/or equipment trailer. You may be able to “dry camp” (in approved areas) if space is available when you arrive. TSP 2022 will only provide 75 tent and dry camping sites. TSP is only able to accommodate this number of camping sites. It doesn’t matter if you are in a tent, on the ground, in a chair, sleeping bag, your car, a trailer, an RV not in an assigned RV site….if you sleep on the Ranch you have to pay the Ranch a camping site fee or covered room fee.

  • Connecting your vehicle/power cord to power cords in the observing fields is prohibited at all times (except for approved telescope use)  Do not have any power wires leading into your vehicle.
  • Power wires are not permitted inside sleeping tents/trailers/etc, except with approved medical-waiver tag or if located in a Prude Ranch RV site.
    • If you have a power wire leading into your unattended (enclosed) observing tent/trailer/etc. you must disconnect from TSP power lines until you return the next day. Anything that remains connected (low-power chargers, etc) must be placed outside where TSP staff can see/access it (safety/consumption reasons).
    • TSP reserves the right to disconnect and/or remove any power cord that is in violation or that appears to be a safety hazard.
  • Be careful when driving over TSP power cords, as our power boxes can be damaged/short-circuited by the weight of your vehicle.
  • Running gasoline-powered electric generators is prohibited at all times.
  • All lights extinguished at night except with proper opaque shielding, especially with canvas walled campers.
  • There are additional guidelines, depending on which field you set up in:   (view field maps)

    • Upper Field
      • RVs/campers can unload or load equipment only.  Use the designated road thru the center of the field.  You must leave the upper field before dark.
      • Only cars and trucks can park in the designated tent/camping area.  However, your vehicle must remain parked at all times throughout TSP.  You can leave only if there is a clear/safe pathway for you to leave, and you should expect that this is no earlier than Saturday morning, but could be as late as Sunday morning.
    • Middle Field
      • RVs of maximum length of 18’ may park on the east side of the middle field. This includes trucks with a camper in the bed of the truck.  You must park in an east-west direction.
    • Lower Field
      • RVs of any size may park at the south end of the lower field near the fence. Park parallel to the fence to help block light from road traffic. 
      • You can park your car or truck outside the road/path that goes around the periphery of the observing area.

Have a question?  Any exceptions to these rules must be approved in advance by the TSP Housing committee.