Palo Duro Canyon State Park (9/29/2019 – 10/4/2019)

Driving from Abilene to Canyon, Texas is fairly flat and uninteresting until you get near to Canyon. When you make the turn east and are about a mile from the entrance, it’s like the earth fell out from under you. To your right there are large gashes in what must have once been just flat earth, except it has taken centuries. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is described as “Texas’ best kept secret.” Geologically spectacular with layer upon layer of colors. Ms. Richardson, my favorite teacher at Alpha Academy (my high school) would have been in her element here. It is also the second largest canyon in the United States.

View from the top of the canyon

View from the top of the canyon

View from the top of the canyon

View from my campsite, love it! Look at those geological layers.

The layers and colors are spectacular

I saw her and her sidekick early in the morning and in the evening

They haven’t gotten the Memo that Thanksgiving is next month.

These buggers are all over the place. I kept hoping one wouldn’t crawl into the van.

Grasses, wildflowers, cacti, everywhere

Wildflowers

One of the rivers in the canyon

Paseo Del Rio Trail (we’re ready – don’t get excited – we’re still in easy hiking mode)

The historic Cowboy Dugout along the Paseo Del Rio Trail.

Inside the Cowboy Dugout. I bet it’s cool in summer.

We spent 5 days in Palo Duro Canyon. The first couple of days the weather was beautiful. About mid-70s at night. With a fan, it’s quite comfortable; except when it rains. It rained and rained and rained. Stretch and I would get out between showers for walks. We did manage to get out by car to see the rest of the canyon and we also walked on the Paseo Del Rio Trail. Most of the walking we did; however, was around our camping loop at the Hackberry Campsite, because of the rain. On my last night there, the temperature dropped to the upper 40s. Although I have a sleeping bag, I still found it chilly. I did turn on the heater in the van just before going to bed and first thing in the morning. I am reassessing my heating issue and will amend while I’m in Amarillo.

I would visit Palo Duro Canyon again and try to walk more of the trails. We will be back one day.