20 Photos That Will Put Palo Duro Canyon on the Top of Your Travel List

In June of 2020, after four months of being alone inside our one bedroom apartment in New York City, we finally decided we needed some fresh air and time with nature for our sanity. We masked up, traveled down to Texas, and drove to Palo Duro Canyon with my family. It was a much needed, relaxing, beautiful, and inspiring trip that I recommend to everyone I know! These photos are only a handful of some incredible shots I was able to capture.

The Grand Canyon is obviously the first place that comes to mind when thinking of canyons in America. But Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the country and most people have never even heard of it. It's located in the panhandle of Texas, just about a half hour drive from Amarillo. Our drive from Austin consisted of mostly flatlands, so much so that I wasn't convinced there was a hole in the ground anywhere nearby! Sure enough the canyon comes out of nowhere and is instantly breathtaking.

The canyon is colorful in both its geology and its history. It was formed by the Red River millions of years ago and is famous for its red rocks, geologic layers and hoodoos. Hoodoos are rock formations where a larger rock is resting on a smaller rock base due to erosion at different rates. The most famous hoodoo in the canyon is the Lighthouse Rock.

The history of the canyon is also complex. The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon in 1874 during the Red River War was a brutal fight between the US Army and the Plains Indians living in the canyon. Then, during the Great Depression, the canyon became a place of work for many young men in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) under President Roosevelt.

The painter Georgia O'Keefe summed up the nature and history perfectly when she described Palo Duro as "a burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color."

My parents love Palo Duro so much, they visit once a year and always stay at the Dove's Rest Cabins. Dove's Rest offers multiple luxury cabins along the rim of the canyon, all of which are unique in design and affordably priced! The homes are all comfortable, located near the entrance of the park and have incredible views of the land.

The park itself, along with a few other groups, offer similar cabins, and there are some really fun glamping, camping, Air BnB options in the area! You really can't go wrong.

There are many trails to choose from to explore the canyon itself, ranging in difficulty, length and mode of transport. Our favorite walking trails were the Lighthouse Trail and the Rojo Grande Trail.

The Lighthouse trail takes you to the iconic Lighthouse rock formation. It's 2.8 miles and listed as Moderate difficulty level. This is definitely the most popular trail of the canyon, but we were still mostly alone on our journey. You definitely need more water than you think you need for this one!

The Rojo Grande trail is a shorter 1.2 miles along the river, is also listed as Moderate, and has more shaded areas along the path. Both trails are full of incredible sights around each corner. My favorite part of hiking in National or State Parks is watching how much the landscape can change in just a few steps!

My favorite activity of the trip was horse back riding! I always love any chance I get to ride horses and wish I was able to do it more often. It's so special to be around the animals, and I always have the best time. Plus, exploring on horseback gives you new access to the canyon. You're able to see sights you can't reach on foot or by car. We rode with Cowgirls and Cowboys in the West and had a great experience. The horses were well behaved, and the guides were so knowledgeable and friendly. Learning about the history of the canyon from our guides while seeing it with our own eyes was fascinating and memorable. Make sure to pack jeans, a long sleeve shirt and boots if you add this to your schedule!

One day we decided to hop in the car, drive through the canyon and stop whenever we saw something we wanted to explore. You can start your drive at the Visitor's Center and then follow the loop through the bottom of the canyon. Hop out whenever you see something that catches your eye! Some of our favorite rock formations were ones we spotted out the window and chose to investigate further.

Since we visited in 2020, the Pioneer Amphitheater was sadly empty. But that didn't stop us from walking around the beautiful outdoor stage. I mean look at that backdrop! Normally during the summers the amphitheater is home to the Texas Outdoor Musical, a musical about the history of the Texas Panhandle. From what I can tell, it seems lively and very entertaining. They also now offer Shakespeare in the Canyon, which I would love to see someday.

Palo Duro is only a 30 minute drive from Amarillo, so we decided to drive into the city one day. My boyfriend had never seen Cadillac Ranch so we had to take him! It's a public art installation right on the highway outside of Amarillo and features a row of Cadillacs buried in the ground and covered in graffiti. It's a quirky, cool spot that is definitely worth seeing with your own eyes. You can even leave your own mark if you bring some spray paint!

I was blown away by the sights of Palo Duro Canyon and look forward to a return trip soon. There's just something about West Texas that feels like a breath of fresh air. This is a must add State Park to your list. 🤘🏼