Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyons carve deep into the plains of the Texas panhandle, bringing a taste of Arizona’s Grand Canyon to the Lone Star State. The terrain leading up to these two state parks is incredibly flat. The horizon is an unobstructed division of sky and grassy cattle pastures, and then, out of nowhere, the earth drops away into deep gorges revealing a hiker and biker’s retreat. This Palo Duro Canyon & Caprock Canyons 2 day itinerary will take you on scenic trails lined with juniper trees, cacti, and unique red rock formations. Along the way, keep an eye out for the Caprock Canyons prairie dog town and Texas State Bison Herd.
Palo Duro Canyon & Caprock Canyons 2 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Palo Duro Canyon State Park
1. Hike or Bike the Lighthouse Trail
For your first stop in Palo Duro Canyon, head to the Lighthouse Trail. The Lighthouse Trail is our favorite trail in Palo Duro Canyon and one of the best hikes in all of Texas. The trail leads to a red rock monolith shaped like…you guessed it, a lighthouse! For extraordinary views, scramble up to the base of the Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse Trail can be done as a 5.7 mile out-and-back or it can be made into a 7.9 mile loop by adding the Givens, Spicier, Lowry (GSL) Trail and the Paseo Del Rio Trail. The GSL Trail offers views of the Devils’ Tombstone, a hoodoo pillar with a large boulder perched atop, and the Paseo Del Rio Trail follows along the river.
Both hiking and biking are allowed on these trails. We opted to bike the Lighthouse, GSL, and Paseo Del Rio Trail Loop and loved it! There is a bike rack at the base of the Lighthouse so you can secure your bike and explore the rock formation by foot. Keep in mind that beginner mountain bikers may need to walk their bikes through certain sections of the GSL Trail. The GSL Trail is a blue mountain bike rating, while the Lighthouse Trail and Paseo Del Rio Trail portions of the loop are green ratings and are more beginner-friendly.
The Lighthouse Trail is very popular so get going early to beat the crowds and the heat!
2. Hike the Rock Garden Trail to the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail
If you’re up for hiking another trail, your next stop is the Rock Garden Trail. The Rock Garden Trail is a 2.4 mile climb from the canyon floor to the canyon rim, where it meets with the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail. After the ascent up the Rock Garden Trail, the flat Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail is a breeze. Explore the overlooks along the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail for panoramic views of the canyon below. Local wildlife, like the Texas horned lizard, can be spotted along this trail as well.
3. Take a Quick Hike to Big Cave
For a quick adventure, make a stop at Big Cave along the side of Alternate Route 5. Big Cave doesn’t match it’s name (it’s fairly small and shallow), but the short hike and the fun rock scramble up to the cave is worth the stop.
4. Discover Catarina Cave
There are secrets in these canyons! Catarina Cave is an off-the-beaten-path adventure that’s not marked on the Palo Duro Canyon State Park Map, but with a little sleuthing, you can find this hidden gem.
Exploring inside the cave requires scrambling up rock walls and crawling through TIGHT passages. Claustrophobic folk beware.
5. Spend the Night Stargazing
The night skies of Palo Duro Canyon sparkle with stars. The park often hosts nighttime events like full moon hikes and star parties. To see upcoming events, visit the Palo Duro Canyon State Park website.
Day 2: Caprock Canyons State Park
After spending the night stargazing at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, drive to Caprock Canyons State Park in the morning. The drive from Palo Duro to Caprock Canyons takes about 1.5 hours.
1. Hike the Haynes Ridge and Upper North Trail Loop to Fern Cave
For your first stop in Caprock Canyons, head to the North Prong Spur trailhead for a hike to Fern Cave. The 6.5 mile loop hike to Fern Cave starts on the North Prong Spur trail. After hiking 1.3 miles along the North Prong Spur, hang a left onto the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail for a steep, gravelly ascent from the canyon floor to the rim. At the top of the tough climb, you’ll be rewarded with incredible views across the vast canyon.
The hike continues to Fern Cave, a welcomed oasis from the Texas heat. Spring water drips down the fern cloaked walls in this shady grotto.
After a refreshing break at the grotto, continue along the Upper North Trail for 2 miles, then take a right onto the North Prong Spur to return to the trailhead.
2. Visit the Prairie Dog Town and Texas State Bison Herd
Caprock Canyons is a great park for viewing wildlife. Prairie dogs can be seen popping in and out of their burrow holes at the Prairie Dog Town, which is located alongside the road near the Honey Flat Camping Area. The Official Texas State Bison Herd roams throughout the plains of Caprock Canyon State Park and can often be spotted near the Prairie Dog Town. For your safety, do not approach the bison and stay at least 50 yards away.
3. Spend the Night Stargazing
Caprock Canyons has some of the darkest skies in Texas which makes for incredible stargazing. On the Bortle Scale, a rating system that indicates the darkness of the sky and celestial object visibility, the Caprock Canyons rating is a 2. For a frame of reference, inner city skies are a 9 on the Bortle scale, and a Bortle rating of 1 is reserved for the darkest skies on Earth.
The stars and the Milky Way are breathtakingly radiant from Caprock Canyons. No telescope is necessary to enjoy the beauty of the night sky here. All you have to do is look up.
Best Time of Year to Visit
The best time of year to visit Palo Duro Canyon and Caprock Canyons is either the spring or fall. The weather tends to be more mild and pleasant for hiking during the spring and fall with high temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s and lows in the 40’s and 50’s.
In the summer, Palo Duro Canyon visitors can enjoy a musical called “Texas” performed at the Pioneer Amphitheater. However, the summer Texas heat is intense. Visitors should be sure to bring plenty of water if visiting during the summer.
In the winter, the occasional snowfalls are a beautiful sight. Visitors must be prepared for frigid conditions and sub-freezing temperatures at night when visiting in the winter.
Getting Here
Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Caprock Canyons State Park are only a 1.5 drive apart from each other and can be easily combined for a long weekend getaway. The drive from Amarillo to Palo Duro Canyon is about 30 minutes. The drive from Dallas-Fort Worth to Palo Duro Canyon is just under 6 hours.
What to Pack for Palo Duro & Caprock Canyons
- Day Pack
- Hydration Bladder or Water Bottle filled with water – Always carry plenty of water, especially in the warmer months. The heat in these parks can be very intense and many hikes are not shaded.
- Sun Protection – Be sure to wear sunscreen, SPF lip balm, and a hat and/or sunglasses. Our favorite SPF lip balm is Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25. It comes with a screw on cap so it won’t melt in your pocket in the Texas heat!
- Food – Salty snacks in particular can help with hydration for hikes in the heat.
- Layers of Clothing – Clothing needs vary depending on the weather. For any weather, opt for quick-dry clothing materials and avoid cotton. Cotton retains water which can make you feel colder in cold weather and make you feel sweatier and cause chaffing in the heat.
- First aid kit
- Trail Shoes or Hiking Boots
- Trail maps – We recommend printing or taking screenshots of trail maps in case there is no cell service during your hike.
- Trekking Poles – The elevation change is not significant for most of the hikes in this itinerary though we were glad to have trekking poles for the South Rim Loop trail.
Palo Duro Canyon Camping
There are several types of campsites in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The non-primitive campsites can be reserved online, whereas, the primitive camping area is first-come, first-served.
Call ahead if you plan to use the primitive camping area. When we arrived at the park and requested a primitive camping permit, the ranger told us that primitive camping was not available due to recent hog activity so we had to sleep elsewhere.
Instead, we camped at the Palo Duro Zip Park, which is conveniently located just outside the entrance of Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The campsites are near the rim of the canyon and have great amenities including flush toilets and clean showers with hot water.
Caprock Canyons Camping
There are many campsite types available within the Caprock Canyons state park including RV campsites with hookups, drive up tent campsites, and primitive campsites. All campsite types can be reserved online.