Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon is a state park in the Texas panhandle. (Which is that square bit at the top of Texas.) You can find it about 40 minutes south of Amarillo.

Not Quite the Grand Canyon

I first heard of Palo Duro Canyon down in Georgetown, Texas, at the visitor’s center in town square. The lady there recommended it, and then I heard it later referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Texas.” Looking at Google Maps, you can see a single road, then a loop road, which I assumed was around the rim of a large canyon. Well, I should have turned on satellite view. You actually drive down into the canyon and the loop is around the bottom. While it is the second biggest canyon in the United States, it’s not nearly as big as I was expecting. Comparisons to the Grand Canyon don’t really help.

At the Top and the Visitor’s Center

As you drive in, there is a visitor’s center and overlook to your right. The Visitor’s center is pretty neat, there are authentic crafts and lots of books for sale, plus a little museum next to picture windows looking out over the canyon. The Visitor’s Center and the nearby trail from rim to bottom were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, created in the ’30s by FDR as part of the New Deal. (Note: there are good bathrooms in here.)

Down in the Valley

After a winding drive down into the canyon, there’s a large event pavilion and an outdoor stage area for a grand musical about Texas. Further along is a trading post with a large store and a canteen with good burgers. Scattered all around are campgrounds for RV’s, tent campers, and even some fancy large glamping tents. All the campgrounds have bathrooms, usually near the road, so you don’t have to go without once you pass the visitor’s center.

Hiking

The drive from the entrance, down, and around the canyon floor only takes about 40 minutes. The real attraction here is getting out of your car and taking a walk. There are 14 trails throughout the park, excluding ones for horses and mountain bikes only. The most popular trail is the Lighthouse trail, a 6-mile out and back to a lighthouse-looking rock formation. It always seems crowded, even during my Monday visit.

The CCC trail is the only one that goes from the rim (near the visitor’s center) to the bottom, ending at the TEXAS musical parking lot. You can also enter it from the side, at a point halfway down the drive into the canyon. If you have more than one vehicle, I would recommend parking one at the bottom, then drive to the top and walk down.

The Lighthouse Trail was too crowded and too long for me, so I ended up walking half a mile up the CCC to the Goodnight Peak trail. After climbing the CCC trail, Goodnight Peak is a flat and easy walk out to a fantastic view of the canyon. I think you could probably enter it from that side trail of the CCC for a more level hike overall. (Goodnight Peak is not an officially listed trail. I must have found it on a website somewhere. But it’s easy to find. It starts with a set of stairs off the main trail.)

Lots of other trails are more flat in general, and there’s a short hike up to a big cavern at the back of the loop (also very popular.) There are 1500 acres set aside solely for horseback riding so you can bring your own or take a tour from the Old West Stables in the park.

At Your Own Risk

I feel like the motto for Texas state parks and Palo Duro Canyon specifically is “at your own risk.” MAKE SURE you take lots of water and skin protection if you go on a hike. At Goodnight Peak, the winds were strong and it would be very easy to slip over the edge. The famous Lighthouse trail is the cause of the most deaths from heat-related injuries in the park. You don’t find many danger signs or barriers, so take care of yourself here. It’s beautiful but the environment can be harsh.

Entrance to Palo Duro Canyon costs $8 and currently, reservations must be made online ahead of time.