The lazy hearted, short on time, injured, small child toting or not so outdoorsy types will love the Big Cave of Palo Duro Canyon State Park. And to be honest, so will all my fellow crazy, outdoorsy, over-ambitious hikers too!
This may just be the most fun, easily accessible, family friendly feature of Palo Duro.
A big cave that you can basically drive to? Don’t tell me you’re not sold.
Table of Contents
A View of the Big Cave
There are other caves, but this is the easiest one to visit.
In the interest of full disclosure, Palo Duro Canyon SP has lots of caves but this is the only one that is relatively safe (as far as caves go) and stupid easily accessible to the general public.
Accessing the Big Cave
Looking west off Park Road 5, the cave is nearly as easy to hike to as it is to see. For the hiker, Juniper Cliffside Trail runs parallel to the Big Cave. This thing is hard to miss if you have your head out of your ass. If you do miss it, it’s your own damn fault.
I didn’t know about the Big Cave prior to visiting Palo Duro for the first time and stumbled upon it quite by accident. In fact, I was driving by on Park Road 5 from showering at Mesquite Campground when I saw the Big Cave from the road.
There were other cars pulled off on this section of the road, so I figured it would be ok to park on the side of the road and traipse up to this gawping wonder. No one ticketed me so I guess it was fine (don’t @ me if you get a fine).
Hiking to Palo Duro’s Big Cave
The jaunt from car to cave was less than a quarter mile. While there isn’t an officially marked trail on the park map (that’s kind of a theme in Palo Duro), there was an obvious path that every other fucker intrigued by the cave was clearly using, so I did the same.
At the end of my short hike (not even enough to make me start sweating or stinking after my shower, mind you), there was a slight rocky scramble but I truly believe that pretty much anyone can make the climb. Small children would delight in such a feat and mothers will thank their lucky stars that their offspring has a place to spend some energy.
The Big Cave at Palo Duro
After the very short climb, the cave itself isn’t quite as huge as the name might suggest. In fact, I’ve heard people call it less of a cave and more of a “hole in the wall”. But it’s not small, either. The air is a bit stale, as air in caves tends to be, and I felt a touch creeped out in its depths. Truth be told, I’m not a huge cave fan – sorry speleologists.
The cave is large enough that I could easily stand in all parts of it and it can easily accommodate at least 5 people without feeling crowded.
It’s easy to imagine that people in years past may have used this place for respite or shelter from the bipolar elements of West Texas or that many animals may have denned here prior.
The view looking out from the cave was my favorite part of the experience. Inclement weather was moving in as I explored the area, making my pictures much more moody and dramatic.
Too Long: Didn’t Read;
- A fun, easy hike that almost anyone can enjoy
- A good-sized cave to explore
- A very nice view looking out from the cave
No matter who you are, this is a jaunt I’d recommend for anyone. Go forth and spelunk!
References
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/palo-duro-canyon-catarina-cave-f9028fa
https://mix941kmxj.com/photos-searching-for-the-hidden-caves-inside-palo-duro-canyon