Palo Duro Canyon State Park: The Grand Canyon of Texas

Only 25 miles from downtown Amarillo lies one of the greatest natural treasures in all of Texas, Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This park is accessible by all means of transportation and offers the most spectacular views of anywhere in the Texas panhandle. It is the second largest canyon in the United States and is host to thousands of visitors every year.

Palo Duro Canyon was formed by centuries of water erosion by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River and the wild winds that sweep through West Texas. Visitors may explore the canyon by foot, horseback, mountain bike or vehicle. There are more than 30 miles of trails for exploration where visitors can camp, geocache, study nature and bird watch.

With a descent of some 800 feet to the canyon floor and more than 16 miles of paved road, Palo Duro Canyon State Park offers fantastic scenic views, historical sites and markers, picnic tables, public restrooms and showers, miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, horseback riding, a souvenir shop with grill, and a variety of camping & parking areas suitable for day trips, overnight tent camping, or extended stays in the largest of campers and motorhomes.

There is a newly added feature to the park, Glamping, or luxury camping. Each glamping site is fully furnished with air conditioning, luxury rustic furnishings, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, games, bicycles, gas grills and gas fire pits, covered porches with rockers, porch swings, and much more.

Stop by the Visitor Center on the canyon rim to learn more about the park.