Palo Duro Canyon is Texas size
The Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. It is 1,200 feet deep, 120 miles long and over 20 miles wide in some areas. It covers parts of four counties in the panhandle and the number of visitors is increasing.
“Its popularity grows by leaps and bounds,” says Eric Miller, a tourist expert in Amarillo, “especially now that the pandemic is on the decline and people are starting to travel again.” He goes to the canyon weekly and has studied it for years.
“The canyon has caves and columns of weathered rock called hoodoos. The major landmark that people want to see is called the Lighthouse. It’s a sandstone structure about 300 feet tall. You have to take a 6-mile round trip hike to get to it. In the summer heat you better take precautions like some sort of headgear, sunscreen and plenty of water. The sun can really sap your energy. Morning is the best time to go.”
The canyon is believed to be 90 million years old. The name Palo Duro is from an Indian term meaning hard stick.
“The legend is that Coronado led some conquistadors to the area in about 1540. It was his group that discovered the juniper cedar trees that are still there on the walls of the canyon. Juniper trees have an incredibly hard wood.”
Indians made arrows from juniper wood. There are several hiking trails in the canyon. One is called the Rock Garden Trail.
“It starts on the floor of the canyon and goes all the way up to the rim, so it’s nearly a quarter of a mile gain in elevation going up”
The canyon has a replica of a dugout like the one Charles Goodnight, a pioneer rancher used in 1876, two years after the Indians left. He moved 1,800 head of cattle into the canyon in partnership with John Adair and founded the JA Ranch,
There is a state park that covers a small part of the canyon. Concessions include jeep rides, a zip line and the outdoor musical drama TEXAS that begins in May and runs through mid August. It has special lighting and sound effects.
“The lightning at the end of the first act will have you believing that it’s raining.”
Eric thinks the canyon is a special place.
“Palo Duro is my go-to place because it just recharges me. There is a deep serenity that comes with breathing in the clear panhandle air.”
The canyon is on the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River in Briscoe, Armstrong, Randall and Swisher counties and was created by water erosion. At the rim it has an elevation of 3,500 feet. The floor of the canyon is 2,380 feet above sea level. It was one of the last Indian strongholds on the plains. The Palo Duro State Park is east of Canyon, Texas.