Update: My wife, the Geology Junky, has published her blog entry on this park and concentrates on the geologic aspect. Should you be interested, the posting can be found at her blog, Geology Journeys. You should check it out.
We made our trip to Palo Duro Canyon State Park (PDCSP) after leaving Midland around 1000 on a Friday morning. No problems at all getting to the park as the GPS was accurate and the signs to PDCSP were easy to follow. Plus, once you get on highway 217 east, you dead end into the park.
Getting our campsite at the office took more than a few minutes because of the large number of visitors at the office and since only two park employees were working. We did get our assigned spot in the Hackberry Camping section and noticed that an additional five RVs had pulled in behind and in front of our PuP!
Driving down the park road, we heeded the advice about driving in first gear as the road is steep and winding. Not really all that difficult, though. Another mile or so into the park and we found our campsite. We had no difficulty at all backing in our camper.
The scenery is stunning in the park. Although PDCSP is only 29,000 acres, these canyons are 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide, and have a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. The elevation at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level. Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. The largest, the Grand Canyon, is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 ft. deep.
The geology here is up-front and in your face! If you are a rock hound or like examining different layers, this is a good place for you.
Wildlife is abundant and varied from the deer, turkey, woodpeckers, meadowlarks, hawks, rabbits, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs.
The trails are in great shape and easy to follow. Hiking is mostly easy but there are some very difficult places. Mountain biking is very popular here, too!
We decided to buy tickets for a steak supper and entrance to the musical drama comedy "Texas", a play performed by volunteer actors set on a stage with the backdrop of Palo Duro Canyon! This excellent production allowed us time to cool down and just enjoy the evening.
Overall, we really liked the scenery, the critters, the trails, and the wildlife of PDCSP. Plus, we were very close to Canyon (with the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum) and within easy driving distance to Amarillo. Plus, the pull of the play "Texas" will have you glad you went.
I rate Palo Duro Canyon State Park with three campers!
My other post about PDCSP can be enjoyed by following this link!
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