17 Oct Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon State Park has the second largest canyon in the United States behind only…you guessed it, the Grand Canyon. Not only can you enjoy fantastic views of the canyon, but you can also wander through 30 miles (~48 kilometers) of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails. If you are able to spend overnight in the park or even a whole weekend, the camping + stargazing offered is out of this world. There are so many things to do in Palo Duro Canyon State Park, and thus you are guaranteed to find something that suits your interest. 

If you are in need of a packing list, then look no further. I have crafted a summer road trip packing list as well as a winter road trip packing list.

Contents:

1) Location

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) General Information

6) Hiking Trails

7) Other Activities

8) Recommended Items to Bring

1) Location

Palo Duro Canyon State Park is located in Canyon, Texas, which is in the northwestern corner of the state. For reference, it is approximately 30 minutes southeast of the city of Amarillo and six hours northwest of Dallas. One of the most unique attractions in Amarillo is Cadillac Ranch, which is an art installation of Cadillac cars sticking out of the ground. On the other hand, one of the best views in Dallas is at the Reunion Tower GeO-Deck.

Parking

There are various parking lots throughout the state park. Many of the lots provide access to different hiking trailheads, campgrounds, or other attractions.

Nearby Lodging

The state park does offer camping accommodations – keep reading below to find out more information about those. Otherwise, check out lodging options in Canyon or Amarillo. As a note, Amarillo is a bigger city than Canyon and thus has more accommodations available.

Nearby Airports

There are a few regional airports within 30 minutes of the state park. However, the closest international airport is the Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. It is located 30 minutes north of the state park. 

Furthermore, keep in mind there is no public transportation available from any of the nearby airports to the state park. You will thus need to rent a car from the airport or utilize a ride share service such as Uber. 

Palo Duro Canyon scenic drive

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

The state park has an entrance gate, and it is open for visitors from 7:00am to 9:00pm daily. As a note, the status of hiking trails depends upon the weather. If there is inclement weather in the area or approaching, the park will close the trails as needed.

There is an entrance fee of $8 per person to enter the state park. However, children 12 years old and younger can enter for free, woot woot!

3) The Best Time to Visit

Summer weekends are often the busiest times at Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Therefore, plan to visit early in the weekend or on a weekday if you want to avoid the crowds in the summer.

Best Season to Visit

The spring and autumn seasons are the best times to visit the state park. Why? These seasons bring slightly cooler temperatures, which is perfect if you plan to conquer one of the hiking trails. If you do visit in the summer, be prepared for hot temperatures with plenty of water as well as sunscreen and a hat to shade you from the sun.

Other great parks to visit in the spring or autumn seasons include the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado and Arches National Park in Utah.

Estimated Visit Time

I would recommend that you plan at least one hour in your itinerary to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park. One hour will give you enough time to visit a viewpoint as well as to hike for a mile or two along one of the available hiking trails. However, the true amount of time you need in the park depends on what you would like to do. There are enough things to do at Palo Duro Canyon that you can spend an hour, a half day, or even an entire weekend in the park. 

4) Quick Facts – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

1. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is located in Canyon, Texas, which is 30 minutes southeast of Amarillo. 

2. The state park is open from 7:00am to 9:00pm daily and has an entrance fee of $8 per person. 

3. Palo Duro Canyon State Park has the second largest canyon in the United States behind only the Grand Canyon.

4. The canyon is 800 feet (~244 meters) tall and 120 miles (~193 kilometers) long. 

5. There are a variety of attractions within the state park, including biking and hiking trails, stargazing, camping, wildlife watching, and more. 

View looking down into Palo Duro Canyon

5) General Information 

When driving through Texas, I saw flat land for miles…and miles…and miles. However, the Palo Duro Canyon was a great exception to this and a wonderful last stop in the state of Texas on my road trip with friends from Pennsylvania to California. If I had to compare it to another attraction in the US, I would say it somewhat reminded me of the Badlands in South Dakota. It also has some similarities to the Grand Canyon, which I will explain in more detail below.

Dimensions of the Canyon

The vast majority of people have probably heard of or even visited the Grand Canyon. However, did you know that Palo Duro Canyon follows the Grand Canyon as the second largest canyon in the United States? That is right, for Palo Duro Canyon is approximately 120 miles (~193 kilometers) long and up to 20 miles (~32 kilometers) wide. Additionally, the canyon is around 800 feet (~244 meters) deep.

For reference, the Grand canyon is approximately 277 miles (~446 kilometers) long, up to 18 miles (~29 kilometers) wide, and a mile (~1,609 meters) deep.

Formation and Naming of the Canyon

How did the canyon form, you might wonder? Well, it was not a simple process but instead happened over millions of years. The combination of water erosion from the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River plus the harsh effects of wind eventually formed the canyon that we see today.

Palo Duro means hard wood in Spanish. The natives of the area used some of the trees within the canyon to make their hardwood bows, and thus that is how the name came about. Furthermore, it has received the nickname of The Grand Canyon of Texas due to the fact it is second in size only to the Grand Canyon in the United States.

Geology of the Canyon

The canyon has four main geological layers, which represent different periods of geological history. The bottom layer, which formed around 250 million years ago, is known as the Quartermaster Formation. The middle two layers are known as the Tecovas and Trujillo Formations respectively. They both formed around 225 million years ago. Then there was a large time gap before the final and top layer formed around 10 million years ago. This top layer is known as the Ogallala Formation.

Geology is quite fascinating, though I cannot claim to be anything near an expert. For more geological wonders, head to Bandelier National Monument and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico.

Rock formations in Palo Duro Canyon

6) Hiking Trails – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

Let me start off by saying there are a lot of hiking trails within the state park. For that reason, I will not go over every single one here simply due to the fact the hiking trails could be a whole article themselves. However, I will highlight the three most popular ones.

Zion National Park is another park full of hiking trails, which range in difficulty from easy to challenging. If you are looking for a challenge, check out their three most difficult hikes.

Lighthouse Trail

The Lighthouse Trail is a 5.8 mile (~9.3 kilometer) out and back trail in the state park. It has a little over 500 feet (~152 meters) in elevation gain and takes approximately two hours and 15 minutes to hike round trip. Due to the elevation gain and length of the trail, it is considered to be a moderate route. The trail leads to Lighthouse Rock, which is the most popular rock formation in the state park.

Rock Garden Trail – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

The Rock Garden Trail is a five mile (~eight kilometer) out and back trail considered to be a moderate route. It has almost 800 feet (~244 kilometers) in elevation gain and takes an average hiker two hours and 15 minutes to complete. This trail provides arguably the best views of the canyon out of any trail in the park.

The Givens, Spicer, and Lowry Trail 

The Givens, Spicer, and Lowry (GSL) Trail is a 7.9 mile (~12.7 kilometer) loop trail with around 640 feet (~195 meters) in elevation gain. An average hiker can complete the hike in three hours, and it is rated as a moderate route. While hiking along this trail, you will notice it connects to other trails within the park. Feel free to venture down one of them to continue the adventure. Additionally, the GSL trail leads to a beautiful viewpoint called Red Star Ridge.

Panoramic view of Palo Duro Canyon

7) Other Activities – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon State Park has so many things to do; you will thus be able to find at least one activity that suits your interests. Whether you are spending just one day in the park or a whole week, there are enough activities to fill your time – you might just have to prioritize your favorites since there are so many options.

Heading to Zion anytime soon? There are also a ton of activities in that area, such as canyoneering in Kanab Canyon.

Trails – Hiking, Biking, Horseback Riding

First up on the list of things to do at Palo Duro Canyon is to hit the trails. As detailed in the section above, the state park has a fair amount of hiking trails within its borders. Many of them offer scenic viewpoints at the end as a reward to hikers. In addition, you can opt to experience a trail through biking or horseback riding. For horseback riding, there are a few companies offering tours through the canyon.

There are over 30 miles (~48 kilometers) of trails available within the park, so choose your preferred method and set out on a trail.

Camping – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

The state park has a few campsite options available. First, they offer campsites with electricity. These are the nicest campsites in terms of amenities as they have a water hookup as well as restrooms with showers nearby. Second, they offer campsites with water. You will need a tent at these sites, and the water is within the campground but not at each individual site. Additionally, restrooms with showers can be up to two miles (~3.6 kilometers) away.

Third, they offer campsites with no amenities. You have to hike about a half mile (~0.8 kilometers) to reach the campsite, and there are generally no amenities here. Restrooms with showers are found about a mile (~1.6 kilometers) away, or in other words, about a quarter mile (~0.4 kilometers) from the start of the hike. Fourth, they offer group campsites. These campsites do have both electricity and water hookups as well as restrooms with showers nearby.

Please check their website here to see any rules in place regarding camping as well as to book your reservation. There is truly no better way to stargaze within the park than to do so while camping overnight.

Sun shining down on Palo Duro Canyon

Stargazing – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

Third on the list of things to do at Palo Duro Canyon is stargazing. You can find some pretty great stargazing opportunities at the state park. While it is not declared an official Dark Sky Park due to the nearby city of Amarillo providing a little bit of light pollution, the Milky Way is still visible in the sky on a clear night. Additionally, the park even hosts some stargazing events throughout the year, such as moonlight hikes or stargazing through telescopes programs.

Palo Duro Canyon Loop Scenic Drive

If you are not interested in any of the things to do at Palo Duro Canyon that I have already mentioned, then consider the scenic drive through the park. The scenic drive is approximately 16 miles (~26 kilometers) long and will take at least 30 minutes to drive the entire way through. If you stop along the way for viewpoints and to take pictures, the drive will thus take a bit longer.

Geocaching – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon 

Maybe you have not heard of geocaching before. Well, geocaching is essentially a big, adventure-filled treasure hunt. You have to search for specific locations, and then there is a small treasure item to be found there. Palo Duro Canyon State Park has some geocaching of its own for you to check out. Furthermore, you can prepare in advance by visiting geocaching.com or downloading the app – then get your GPS ready and find those treasures!

Enjoying the views at Palo Duro Canyon

Wildlife Watching 

Next up on the list of things to do in Palo Duro Canyon is wildlife watching. There are a variety of species of wildlife to be found in the state park. However, in terms of viewing wildlife, the birds and Texas longhorns steal the show. Some of the types of birds you might find are kingfishers, owls, hummingbirds, swallows, and wrens to name a few. If you are lucky, you might see a Texas longhorn or two. Spaniards brought the cattle over from Spain back in the 1500s, and many have roamed free in the wild since then.

Ziplining – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

If you are not interested in hiking or bird watching, maybe you prefer to zip through the sky above the canyon? There is a singular zip line stretching the length of a quarter of a mile (0.4 kilometers) across the canyon. Be sure to book your tickets in advance in case they sell out on the day you are visiting.

Texas Outdoor Musical

The park hosts musicals throughout the summer concerning the park’s history. It runs every day from Tuesday through Sunday at the Pioneer Amphitheater. The show is family friendly, and you can purchase tickets online in advance.

Ranger Programs – Things to Do in Palo Duro Canyon

Last up on the list of things to do in Palo Duro Canyon State Park are ranger programs. The park rangers often offer programming related to the history and nature of the state park. For example, previous events have included sunset hikes as well as night safety hikes. You can see a list of upcoming events on their site.

The rolling mountains at Palo Duro Canyon State Park

8) Recommended Items to Bring

1. Water bottle: Please please please be sure to bring water with you while visiting Palo Duro Canyon. I do not mean bring water and leave it in your car. Nope. Carry your water around with you as you hike along the trails and explore the park. Water is even more important if you are visiting in the summer, for the heat can make you become dehydrated real quick. For example, I always carry around my Yeti water bottle.

Hygiene

2. Sunscreen: While this might not be as important on a cloudy day, it will be on a day full of beautiful clear skies. Walking around even for just 30 minutes can lead to sunburn if you have fair skin.

3. Bug spray: Let’s be honest – mosquitos, gnats, and any other little type of fly can ruin an experience. You cannot truly enjoy an attraction if you are swatting away bugs from your face the whole time. Therefore, be prepared with bug spray or a mosquito repellent bracelet.

Hiking Apparel

4. Hiking shoes: A pair of hiking shoes will be incredibly helpful if you plan on hiking along any of the trails within the state park.

5. Hiking poles: Bring along a pair of hiking poles if you plan to hike one of the various hiking trails and want a bit of extra support.

6. Optional – crampons: These are only necessary in the winter months if there is snow or ice along the hiking trails. Crampons are spikes that attach to the bottom of shoes.

Check out my travel essentials for women and my travel accessories for men for even more recommended items to pack for trips.

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Visiting the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia anytime soon?: Endless Wall Trail near New River Gorge.

For a less physical activity, visit the bridge overlook: New River Gorge Bridge Overlook.