Copper Breaks State Park, State park and Dark Sky sanctuary in Hardeman County, United States.
Copper Breaks State Park covers 1,898.8 acres in Hardeman County, Texas, where red-brown and green-gray mudstone laid down 200–250 million years ago on an inland seabed eroded into badlands. The park holds Copper Breaks Lake and Big Pond, plus a portion of the official state Texas longhorn herd. Two conical shingled-roof structures with dark entrances stand on grass beside a gravel road, with campsites nearby.
The red-brown and green-gray mudstone of the park's badlands was laid down 200 to 250 million years ago as an inland seabed. The land was originally part of Comanche and Kiowa territory; Comanche mound sites exist in Hardeman County but not inside the park. Commercial copper mining attempts in the 1800s failed. The Gosage family owned the land from the late 1940s through the 1960s and let the community use it, and Texas bought the property and opened it in stages between 1972 and 1974.
From April through October, monthly gatherings bring visitors together with astronomers who set up telescopes for shared night sky viewing. These evenings are open to everyone and take place under some of the darkest skies in Texas.
The park has camping areas, fishing spots at both lakes, and a trail open to horses, so it helps to plan what you want to do before arriving. Clear nights are the best time to come for stargazing, while cooler months make daytime hiking more comfortable.
The park holds a Bortle Class 2 rating, which means the night sky here is among the darkest possible outside of remote wilderness, making the Milky Way core visible to the naked eye. This level of darkness is rare even by the standards of designated dark sky areas across the country.
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