Download to Your Calendar. Amarillo is the largest city near Palo Duro Canyon State Park, but the smaller city of Canyon is nearer. We tackled the challenging and steep 2.4-mile Rock Garden Trail, which connects with the 3.7-mile Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail, where we spotted herds of aoudads and even two coyotes running through the brush. You hike through deep forests on natural paths and watch the wild animals in their natural . Use landmarks to navigate fresh content. The park's isolated location is a big reason for this, although that isolation is also part of the appeal. What is the longest wildlife trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park? This trail is 9.3 km long with an elevation gain of 159 m. According to AllTrails.com, the longest wildlife trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park is Rock Garden to Fortress Bluff Trail. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. General Rules. Texas Parks and Wildlife. With extreme summer heats on the canyon floor, you can easily become overwhelmed by heat exhaustion and dehydration. With more than 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails, outdoor adventurers can stay busy studying nature, birdwatching, hiking, or just taking in the scenery during a day trip from Amarillo. Palo Duro Canyon State Park. [14] The upper section of the canyon was purchased by the State of Texas in 1934 and turned into the 20,000-acre (8,100ha) Palo Duro Canyon State Park. At the bottom, there is a road with a trading post where you can get a meal, refreshments, and souvenirs. The weather doesnt get as hot as it does during summertime in the Texas Panhandle, and its not as crowded. Here are some of the species that visitors may observe while exploring the park: Bison: Bison are one of the most iconic species at Palo Duro Canyon. Delaney is a project manager by day and a travel and wildlife photographer by night who is using her skills for translating complex technical language into easy to understand concepts to make photography achievable at all skill levels. Bradley Kliemann. 0:53. Notable canyon formations include caves and hoodoos. Bradley Kliemann. The land remained under American Indian control until a military expedition led by Colonel Ranald S. Mackenzie was sent in 1874 to remove the Indians to reservations in Oklahoma. Lavender, gray and white shales lie below this sandstone, while an orange shale lies between this sandstone and the Trujillo Formation above. To make the most of your wildlife viewing experience at Palo Duro Canyon, its important to observe from a safe distance, keep quiet, and stay on designated trails. Please use a JavaScript enabled browser in order to access the full functionality of this site. Come early for a barbecue dinner on our covered patio. Youll be able to see a great deal of the second-largest canyon in the United States along this hiking trail. Its depth is around 820ft (250m), but in some locations, it increases to 1,000ft (300m). Click Here For More Information and to Sign Up, Post Your Work Camper or Camp Host Job For Free By Clicking Here. Weather conditions can change rapidly, and flash flooding can pose a serious danger. Heide writes for numerous national and international publications and is an award-winning member of the Society for Professional Journalists, North American Travel Journalists Association, and Society of American Travel Writers. The tribes fled, but the U.S. forces shot and killed their 1,400 ponies and burned all the winter supplies, leaving the families no choice but to surrender and return to the reservation. I may earn a small commission for any purchases made through these links. Take these safety precautions to make your visit to the canyon safer: Temperatures on the canyon floor can reach 120 degrees. Schwarz, Gerard (conductor); Seattle Symphony. 10. The formation includes a basal, middle, and upper sandstone members, separated by shales. Download to Your Calendar. You can see birds and animals including quails, wild turkeys, woodpeckers, roadrunners, sheep, bobcats, coyotes, mule deer, white-tailed deer, skunk, and rabbits. Campsites: Many of the campsites at Palo Duro Canyon offer great opportunities for wildlife viewing. Along the way youll see colorful Spanish Skirts rock formations that are sure to catch your eye. Besides traveling and writing, Heide is also a professional Bellydancer, a medieval re-enactor, and a quirky chick who lives in Oklahoma City. Palo Duro Canyon (from the Spanish meaning "hard stick")[2] has been named "The Grand Canyon of Texas" both for its size and for its dramatic geological features, including the multicolored layers of rock and steep mesa walls, which are similar to those in the Grand Canyon. You must walk or drive to a nearby camping area for restrooms and showers. Juniper Trail: The Juniper Trail is another great place to observe wildlife. A rancher named Charles Goodnight founded the JA Ranch in the canyon in 1876 with John Adair, and by 1885, the ranch boasted 100,000 head of cattle and 1,325,000 acres of land. Sign up for our Free Work Camper Jobs newsletter and we'll let you know when we've posted new jobs to the website. [1] As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly 120mi (190km) long and has an average width of 6mi (9.7km), but reaches a width of 20mi (32km) at places. And I wanted to capture in music that magical moment which everyone experiences when they first see the flat, treeless High Plains fall dizzyingly away into the colorful vastness of the Palo Duro Canyon itself. Canyon, TX 79015-8747, USA. [23][24], Palo Duro Canyon is the site of an outdoor historical and musical drama, titled Texas, presented annually each summer by actors, singers, dancers, and artists of the Texas Panhandle region. Needless to say, that was a surprise we didnt expect. We have more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. from. This is one of the extended routes in Palo Duro Canyon State Park that gives visitors a taste of all the beautiful scenery that the park has to offer. In addition, picnic and camping areas were built, complete with tables, seats, fireplaces, and garbage receptacles. Canyon, TX Content of this site copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. According to Texas State Parks, Palo Duro Canyon has been inhabited for about 12,000 years, starting with the Clovis and Folsom peoples, who hunted herds of mammoth and giant bison. January average low is 19 degrees. Sheriff Melissa Anderson with ACSO requested assistance from the Randall County Fire Department, Canyon Fire Department, Claude Fire and EMS Services, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Parks & Wildlife Game Warden, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the Texas A&M Forest Service for a rescue/recovery mission. Following park regulations will ensure that both visitors and animals remain safe and that the wildlife at Palo Duro Canyon continues to thrive for generations to come. The only trails open will be the Pioneer Nature Trail Loop and the CCC/Triassic Trails. Phone +1 806-488-2227. (806) 452-9844. [email protected]. The Givens, Spicer & Lowry Running Trail is a favorite mountain biking route, but the Lighthouse Trail and Capitol Peak Mountain Bike Trail also weave through Civilian Conservation Corp sites, old west stables, and towering rock formations. But if youre not near the Grand Canyon of Texas, there are plenty of equally amazing parks in the Lone Star State worth exploring too! Some of the sites can hold a 60-foot RV. However, I promise it will leave you wanting more. Rock Garden Trail climbs from a field of boulders at the bottom of the canyon to the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail along the canyon rim. Readily accessible by car, motorhome, or fifth wheel and only 25 miles from downtown Amarillo and 14 miles from the Mainstreet town of Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon is the most spectacular and scenic landscape feature in the Texas Panhandle. All photos are original to the author unless otherwise noted. Take these safety precautions to make your visit to the canyon safer: Texas Master Naturalists Panhandle Chapter. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. My 7 Favorite U.S. Mountain Towns To Visit In The Summer, 5 Unique Stays In Rhodes, Greece With A View, 13 Highs, Lows, And Key Insights From My Years As A Freelance Writer On Travel And Other Themes, 12 Incredible Things To Do During A Long Weekend In Laredo, Texas, 12 Ways To Spend A Great Day In Charming Brenham, Texas, 6 Fantastic Restaurants To Try In Lubbock, Texas, For details on Quillt's privacy and cookie policies, please visit our, three cabins on the canyons rim or four Cow Camp cabins on the canyon floor, 10 Fantastic Experiences At Dinosaur Valley State Park, 12 Incredible Texas State Parks For Stargazing, We Rated The Best Hiking Shoes On The Market. These massive mammals can weigh up to 2,000 pounds and are easily spotted grazing in the parks grasslands. All rights reserved, 10 Common Lightroom Mistakes and How to Overcome Them. There is a decent amount of shade along the route, which is a rarity in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Address. Weather conditions can change rapidly and flash flooding can pose a serious danger. Page content has changed. Apache Indians lived in Palo Duro at the time, but they were later displaced by Comanche and Kiowa tribes, who had the advantage of owning horses brought over by the Spanish. Over the next half-century, the canyon remained in private hands but was an increasingly popular tourist spot for residents. Visitors may hear their distinctive howls at night or spot them hunting in the parks grasslands.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'happyvagabonds_com-box-4','ezslot_10',171,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-happyvagabonds_com-box-4-0'); Bobcats: Bobcats are another predator that visitors may observe at Palo Duro Canyon. For tickets, visit the TEXAS Outdoor Musical website. About the Campground: Also at the southern end of Palo Duro, this campground has a few more amenities and can accommodate larger RVs and trailers with 30/50 amp hookups. Job: Office and Administrative Support. One person is dead after investigators believe they intentionally drove off the highway near Lookout Point in Palo Duro Canyon on Monday morning, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This multicolored Triassic unit consists of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. All rights reserved. April 26, 2023 - All trails are closed due to rainy conditions. Rex C. Buchanan, B. Brownie Wilson, Robert R. Buddemeier, and James J. Butler, Jr. Map & Directions. According to AllTrails.com, the longest wildlife trail in Palo Duro Canyon State Park is. $22.40. One of my favorite trails to hike was the CCC Trail, a rugged and steep 1.4-mile trail built by the Civilian Conservation Corps that follows the Palo Duro Canyon State Park rim near the visitor center. Soon after, in 1876, Charles Goodnight and a wealthy Ulster Scot named John Adair established the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon. The 4.4-mile Lower Comanche Trail connects to the 3.3-mile Upper Comanche Trail for a nice hike that runs through most of Palo Duro State Park. Upon arrival, it was determined a vehicle had left the roadway near the picnic area at Lookout Point and was on fire approximately 500 to 600 feet below the ledge on private property. Mule Deer 1. I could have sworn we hiked way more than 1.6 miles, but we also wandered off trails to picnic by a small stream, climbed upon mesas and among rock formations, and explored hidden canyons in this Grand Canyon of Texas. Along that backcountry trail, which can be a bit strenuous in places, we discovered petroglyphs that are not advertised anywhere but are marked by a protective fence. Please input the date in MM dash DD dash YYYY format. The first European explorers to discover the canyon were members of the Coronado expedition, who visited the canyon in 1541. Spearing, Darwin. Length: 6.5 mi Est. New to Palo Duro Canyon: Glamping (luxury camping)! All campers are required to check in at the park Headquarters before occupying a site. The hiking trails lead to notable landmarks like ancient landslides, cavern-like areas, old Civilian Conservation Corps buildings, and wildlife viewing blinds. The Texas State Bison Herd lives here, roaming some 10,000 acres. Several members of the official State of Texas Longhorn Herd live at the park. In particular, this alternating red and white formation forms the steep and gullied lower portion of the north flank of Timber Mesa, with the maroon and lavender smooth slopes of the Tecovas Shale above. [4] Most of the strata visible in the canyon were deposited during the Permian and Triassic periods. Watch the stories, struggles and triumphs of early settlers. Bradley Kliemann. The Comanche and Kiowa conceded and left the area. (806) 452-9844. [email protected]. It is an out and back detour, so you can go for as long or as little as you want. These wildlife trails have an average 4.6-star rating from 8,919 AllTrails community reviews. [15], Seven units of the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park from 1933 until 1937. [16], Palo Duro Canyon is part of the Texas State Parks system under Texas Parks and Wildlife. PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, Canyon, TX The composer writes: "I wanted the piece to conjure up an intuitive awareness of the long movements of time required for the creation of a canyon. Site 017, Loop HACKBERRY . State Job Code: 0130. . In 1934, the upper section of the canyon was purchased by the State of Texas and turned it into the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro Canyon has several geocaching sites to discover. Roadside Geology of Texas. (806) 452-9844. [email protected]. So pack your binoculars, grab your hiking boots, and get ready for an unforgettable adventure at Palo Duro Canyon. Ride on trails through 1,500 acres set aside for horseback riding.