Texas Trails. Hiking Gear Reviews. Brutal Honesty.
Experience the second largest canyon in the United States with more than 30 miles of trails to explore. At 120 miles long, up to 800 feet deep and 20 miles wide, Palo Duro dwarfs the competition (the Grand Canyon itself aside). Colorful geologic layers highlight the cliffs and hoodoo rock formations boggle the mind.
The canyon itself is estimated to be around a million years old, but much of the rock that makes up the cliffs is far older, dating to the age of the dinosaurs (if not before). The varied habitats created by the canyon are home to many fascinating and classic Texas creatures including roadrunners and coyotes, bobcats, and even Texas Longhorns. It’s also home to the the Palo Duro mouse and the Texas horned lizard, both at risk of becoming endangered (so tread lightly).
In more recent centuries, Palo Duro Canyon and the surrounding area have been home to many different peoples. In addition to early First Peoples, both the Apache and the Comanche Native Americans have occupied the region.
The park itself was purchased by the state in 1933 and constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps over the next 5 years – though it opened long before it was finished, in 1934.
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. … Read more
Givens, Spicer, & Lowry Trail is a fun, relatively easy meander through quintessential Palo Duro. It shows off the magnificent rockery (I think sophisticated people call it geology?) of the cliffs area and, when combined with the Lighthouse & Paseo del Rio Trails, makes a pleasant 9 mile loop. Essential Gear Hiking Givens, Spicer, & … Read more
The trail’s description proudly proclaims that the only way to access the Rylanders Fortress Cliff Trail is via the Rock Garden Trail, which is a somewhat steep jaunt up some canyon cliff sides. Being the masochistic solitude seeker that I am, I instantly wanted to hike Rylanders Fortress Cliff Trail in the hope of finding … Read more
This pleasant little nugget of a trail runs alongside Prairie Dog Fork of the Red River, crossing it several times. It can be accessed from Park Road 5 or near Fortress Cliff Camp area or it can be used to create an easy loop with Juniper/Cliffside trail, Rojo Grande Trail and itself. Hiking Sunflower Trail: … Read more
Paseo Del Rio Trail is good for a family with littles looking to take an easy amble or as a way to link multiple trails together. 1 mile in length (one way) and flat as my sister’s chest, this trail is easy-peasy lemon squeezy as it winds along (no I’m not making this name up) … Read more
This trail’s claim to fucking fame is that it is the one and only trail in the park that takes hikers from the floor of the canyon to the rim. Once I figured out that this was probably the steepest trail in the park, I simply had to put my legs to the test on … Read more
This trail, named from the Comanche Native Americans who, long ago, supplanted the Apache people that lived in this area, can be accessed from the Soapberry Spur (where there is a restroom!) or the equestrian area at the southern end of the park. It is typically red dirt packed with some rock underfoot in some … Read more
I normally don’t head straight for the most popular trails in a park because they tend to be overcrowded and overhyped but that’s exactly what I fucking did when I headed into Palo Duro State park for the very first time. This trail is touted as the most popular in the park and as a … Read more