An Ultra High Definition 4K Driving Tour of the Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, Texas.
Join me on a drive through the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, Texas! In this scenic drive we will start at a scenic overlook near the top of the canyon and then drive down into the canyon itself. The State Park is built up to have lots of facilities for recreational use, and many people are out enjoying the beautiful sunny day. There are 50 miles of hiking and or biking trails in the park!
We don’t have anywhere we are in a hurry to get to, so we are going to just enjoy the day and drive around the park exploring. We will drive up and down into the canyon in order to get a better view of some of the rock formations. Palo Duro Canyon State Park has a 16 mile scenic drive that loops through the park. We will be driving on that scenic road, but taking our time going around and getting a good view of things.
It’s a good thing we are driving slowly and paying close attention because there are deer in this park! Keep an eye out for deer!
Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States, and the largest canyon in Texas. The largest canyon the United States is the much more well known Grand Canyon located in Arizona. Palo Duro Canyon is sometimes referred to as the Grand Canyon of Texas because it is so big.
Where is Palo Duro Canyon State Park Located?
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is located in the Texas Panhandle. The park is about 30 miles (roughly 50 km) from Amarillo, Texas and 13 miles (20 km) from the more nearby small town of Canyon, Texas. My driving tour from Palo Duro Canyon State Park to Canyon, Texas is located here.
The address of the park is: 11450 Park Road 5, Canyon, Texas 79015, USA
Visiting Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Gate hours for the park are: 7:30 AM to 6 PM everyday except for Friday and Saturday where they stay open an extra hour and close the gates at 7 PM.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a popular vacation spot for families and people going on road trips. If you are planning to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park, especially during peak times such as Thanksgiving or Spring Break, you should book a reservation in advance. The park offers reservations for different types of campsites, and also for day use passes. Even if you are not planning to spend the night in the park camping it is important to book a reservation in case the park reaches capacity for day use.
Entrance Fees
There are different fees for camping, RV hookups and day use passes.
Entrance fees for the park are $8 per adult and children 12 and under are free. The provides access to the park and use of the facilities.
If you have a Texas State Parks Pass you and any guests present with you do not have to pay a day use fee at this or any other Texas state park. You still need to make a reservation in advance in order to ensure that when you arrive at the park they are not already at capacity. You can purchase as Texas State Parks Pass from REI.
Getting to the Park
Arriving by Plane:
There are a few airports serving the park, Amarillo is by far the closest. All of these airports will still require you to rent a car to drive to the park. If you are coming from far away you may prefer to fly into a bigger city that is further away such as Dallas or Austin, and then make the longer drive to the park in order to see more of the state during your trip.
Amarillo (AMA):
The closest airport to fly into for going to the park is in Amarillo, Texas. The airport in Amarillo is called the Rick Husband Amarillo Airport, abbreviated with the code AMA. Then to get from the Amarillo airport to the park you can rent a car at the airport. The drive from the Amarillo airport to the park is about 45 minutes or a little less.
There are a number of car rental companies at the airport such as Avis, National, and Enterprise. When filming this video I used a car that I rented from Enterprise, and I was happy with the experience. The drive from the airport in Amarillo to Palo Duro State Park is less than an hour.
You may wish to stop while in Amarillo to pick up any last minute supplies for your trip. My driving tour of Amarillo, Texas is located here.
Lubbock (LBB):
Lubbock is a bit further from the park and the drive will take about an hour and a half to two hours. The official name of the airport in Lubbock is the Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport. There are rental car counters available from Alamo, Avis, Enterprise, Hertz, and National.
Clovis (CVN):
Clovis Municipal Airport is located in Clovis, New Mexico. It will take you over an hour and a half to drive from the airport to the park. This is a very small airport.
Midland/Odessa (MAF):
Midland is a larger airport, but also significantly further away from the park. It will take you between three and half to four hours to drive from the Midland airport to the state park. The name of the airport in Midland is the Midland International Air and Space Port. So if you are coming to the park from outer space this might be your best bet?
Rental car companies available at the Midland Air and Space Port include Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
Arriving by Car
Most people get to the park by car. It is a popular stop for people doing a road trip of the former Route 66 as it is not too far away from I-40. There are gas stations in Canyon, Texas very close to the park.
From Amarillo:
Take I-27 South from Amarillo, Texas towards Canyon, Texas. Take exit 106 from I-27 S and then take TX- 217 East until you reach the entrance to the park. This route will cut around the outskirts of the town of Canyon.
Alternatively, you may prefer to take i-27 South from Amarillo, continuing to follow the signs for US-87 S until you enter the town of Canyon. There you can grab a bite to eat, top off your gas tank and check out some of the local shops before you head into the park.
Where to buy last minute supplies?
There is a visitor center located near the entrance of the park, and at the base of the canyon inside the park there is a trading post. The trading post is a gift shop that also sells some supplies and a small amount of food and other refreshments. Most of the items for sale in the gift shop are souveneirs.
In the nearby town of Canyon, Texas you will find Palo Duro Canyon Outfitters for camping supplies and an Ace Hardware. For picking up groceries there is the United Supermarket and a Walmart Supercenter. Canyon also has gas stations, fast food, and sit down restaurants.
For more specific or hard to find items you may need to go all the way into Amarillo. That’s where you will find an Academy Sports and Outdoors and many other larger chain stores.
Where to stay when visiting Palo Duro State Park.
It would be possible to stay in Amarillo and drive down to Palo Duro Canyon State Park during the day, but it makes more sense to stay in the nearby town of Canyon, Texas. Canyon a town of about 15,000 people and is the home of West Texas A&M University. In Canyon there are shops, restaurants, fast food, gas stations, and lots of hotels.
Hotels and Lodging in Canyon, Texas
Best Western Palo Duro Canyon, Holiday Inn Express, and Buffalo Inn Motel are all located in Canyon, Texas. There are also a lot of options available in Canyon for rentals on Air B&B. The drive from these hotels to the park is very short and they are clean, quiet and easy to find.
If you are staying in a hotel in Canyon, Texas and would like to get a cup of coffee before you have a long day in the park, I recommend stopping by Palace Coffee Co. It is located right off the main square in an older building and is very easy to find. I stopped there when filming this video and the coffee and service were both very good. They opened early enough that I could still get to the park bright and early.
Camping in Palo Duro State Park
The park is very large and offers a wide variety of types of campsites. Rates for campsites do not include the day use fee which is in addition to the camping fee. The campsite fee is for the entire group of people at the campsite, and not per person, but there is a limit to the number of people allowed at each campsite.
The campsites offer a wide variety of options as far as primitive camping, car camping, or RV camping. The campsites have access to restrooms with showers. If you would like to stay somewhere with nicer shower facilities you may prefer to book a room at one of the hotels in Canyon.
Primitive Campsites $12/night
Primitive campsites allow up to 4 people per campsite and are not accessible by car. Primitive campsites generally means that you park in the parking lot and then hike to a specified area in which you can select where you would like to set up your camp. There is not a designated campsite for each group.
You must pack in all of your supplies, including any water you may need. At the end you pack out everything that you brought in, which obviously includes your trash. You cannot burn you trash in a campfire – in fact campfires are not allowed at primitive campsites in the park. You are allowed to use small fuel stoves for cooking. There is a provided restroom near the trailhead.
Campsites with Water $16/night
Campsites with water access are locations specifically reserved campsite for your group, and they allow up to 8 people per campsite. You can park your car near the campsite, and do not have to carry your gear. The campsites are only for tent camping, and not for camping in a recreational vehicle. There is water and bathrooms with showers and toilets in the general area that you can walk to. The restrooms are traditional flush toilets in stalls. The showers are very simple like you might see at a gym and they might not be to your liking.
Each of these campsites has a picnic table with a permanently installed shade shelter over it. During the drive we will pass many people that used the posts holding up the shade shelters to tie up their hammocks.
Each of these campsites has a fire ring already provided, however burn bans are frequently in effect throughout many places in Texas. You might not be allowed to use the fire ring or make any sort of camp fire in the park.
Campsites with Water and Electricity $26/night
Campsites with electricity are the campsites that you will want to book if you are traveling in an RV. These sites have picnic tables, fire rings, and a range of different amps for the electric hook ups for recreational vehicles. There are a lot of different campsites for RVs and they can be pretty close together. Some of these campsites have paved areas for setting up your RV. All of these campsites have a restroom available nearby with toilets and showers.
Campsites for Horses $12/night
These campsites have water access but no electric hookup. There is a limit of 8 people per campsite and each horse counts as a person. These campsites have access to horse pens. Horses brought into the park need to have a negative Croggins test from within the last year. There are trails that you can ride your horse on in the park. There
ADA Accessible Campsites
There are several campsites that are ADA accessible in the Juniper section of the campsites with water and electricity. These campsites are wheelchair accessible.
Large Groups
There are facilities for large groups and scouting events.
When is the best time to visit the park?
The best time of year to visit Palo Duro Canyon State Park is usually in the late fall or early spring. The park will be more crowded during times that local schools are on break such as spring break. During the summer the temperatures in the park can get very hot. During the winter it might snow. This is a canyon, so flash flooding can happen shockingly fast and should be taken seriously.
Is Palo Duro Canyon State Park Safe?
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a very safe place to visit, but there are some risks to be aware of. The most important is to pay attention to the heat, and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day. Wear sun block and try and stay out of the sun. It cannot be overestimated how powerful the sun can be in the late afternoon in the summer.
Wild animals obviously live in the park, and follow basic safety precautions about them. Bears are not really a concern in the Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Are dogs allowed in the park?
Dogs are allowed in the state park, but only in certain areas. Restrictions about dogs in the park obviously do not apply to service animals. You cannot leave your dog at the campsite unattended. And, as always, you are required to pick up after your dogs waste, including packing it out of campsites.
Give serious consideration to whether or not you should bring your dog to the park. It will significantly limit what you can do in the park because of how few places they can go. It also might not be fun for your dog, or possibly dangerous for them. The trails are rough and the ground can be very hot which would burn their paws. There are wild animals that live in the park which might be upsetting to your dog, or your dogs presence might interfere with the wild animals. If you do choose to bring your dog be sure to pack a lot of extra water for your dog to drink.
What to do in Palo Duro State Park?
Hiking Trails
There are lots of great hiking trails throughout the canyon at a variety of different skill levels. Some of the best views in the park can be had after a day of hiking. When hiking be sure to bring lots of water with you, and pay close attention to the sun and the heat.
The Lighthouse Trail is a moderate level hiking trail that is 2.8 miles long and takes about 2 hours to complete. It leads to the lighthouse rock formation, which is a hoodoo.
Bike Trails
Palo Duro Canyon is a very popular destination for mountain bikers. You will see lots of cars with loaded up bike racks during this driving video. Many of the trails in the park are mixed use for hiking and biking.
Capital Peak Trail is a 3.5 mile loop exclusively for biking. It has three different paths for different difficulty levels.
Horseback Riding
Equestrian Trail is a 1.6 mile horse trail in the park. You can bring your own horse or you can go on a guided horseback riding tour with Old West Stables.
Driving Tour
There is a paved scenic road that runs through the entire park. It is 16 miles long and goes from the rim to the base of the canyon. This is where I drove for this video.
Bird Watching
The canyon is a good location for bird watching. There are some areas set up specifically to encourage the birds to come. There are lots of guides available to show you information about the different types of birds in the canyon.
Photography
There is a scenic overlook near the visitors center at the top of the canyon. This is a popular location for photographers to set up and get pictures of the sunrise.
Junior Ranger Programs
The park offers ranger programs.
Texas the Musical
Texas the musical is a very popular show that takes place in the park. Tickets are available at texas-show.com as well as more information about the show. The price of the ticket includes admission to the park after 4 pm.
Nearby Activities
Canyon, Texas
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
Address: 2503 4th Ave, Canyon, TX 79015, USA
The Panhandle – Plains Historical Museum is dedicated to the history of the Texas Panhandle – Plains region. The Museum is open Tuesdays – Saturdays from 9 AM – 5 PM. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, with discounted tickets available for seniors, children and groups.
Quitaque, Texas
Caprock Canyons State Park
Address: 850 Caprock Canyon Park Road, Quitaque, TX 79255, USA
The nearby Caprock Canyons State Park is also an excellent place to visit. It is usually less crowded than Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It offers camping, scenic views, and hiking trails. There is a herd of bison that lives in the park as well as many prairie dogs.
My driving tour of Caprock Canyons State Park is located here.