Second in size only to the Grand Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle is itself full of towering red rock, breathtaking views, and mammoth dimensions which are almost incomprehensible when you’re gazing on it. And if you get the chance to visit, you most certainly will want the chance to stay, which is also possible at a wonderful West Texas cabin. Vast, desolate yet peaceful, and a beauty all its own, Palo Duro Canyon covers 1 hundred and twenty miles and holds a place of honor on many a Texan’s bucket list.
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Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle: Second in Size to the Grand, First in the Heart of Texans
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Photo: Facebook/The Backyard Live Oak Amphitheatre
For over eighty years, Palo Duro Canyon State Park has fascinated adventurer-seekers wishing to take its trails that wind their way through a region which was once home to mammoths as well as a number of other such giant creatures that made the Panhandle their residence. Now, under a brilliant sun or a dazzling starry night, visitors to the area can enjoy the same free reign, and cap it off with a night in a cabin that sits on the brink of an 8 hundred-foot precipice (okay not on the brink, but you get where we’re going with this – it’s exciting!) or down on the canyon floor. There’s also a Trading Post down in the canyon with snacks/meal items and souvenirs to support all the necessities a Texas traveler and avid sight-seer would need.
Photo: Facebook/View America
Another piece of Texas Panhandle history that the Palo Duo Canyon played a huge role in was as one of the last strongholds for the Kiowas and Comanches prior to the end of the Red River War. The battle that ensued there is documented by the Texas State Historical Association as well as a number of cultural chapters and museums, recognized as the final turning point that led to the end of the Texas-Indian Wars and opening the doors for the cattle ranching age to take hold. History such as this can be researched in advance at various local agencies, with a physical visit to the location lending it the solemnity and recognition a site such as that would deserve.
Photo: Facebook/I Love Texas
With so much to learn, see and do in the Palo Duro Canyon, a trip to its rim and the surrounding paths, crevices and trails is most definitely not unworthy of a day or three on your spring or summer trip list in Texas. You can explore it all on foot, by mountain bike, horse, or car, including over thirty miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Visitors can stay in a cabin or camp out (primitive or many with hookups, equestrian, as well as backpack sites), and during the summer months, the park hosts a performance of the outdoor musical drama TEXAS.
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