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Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Canyon, TX

Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Hike, bike or ride horseback past the red-rock layers of the Texas Panhandle's big canyon, out to the Lighthouse formation.

11450 Park Road 5 · Canyon, TX

About Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Palo Duro Canyon runs roughly 45 miles through the Texas Panhandle and drops around 800 feet, and its layered, multicolored walls earned it the name Grand Canyon of Texas. The state park has more than 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, including the hard hike to the Lighthouse. You can drive down to the canyon floor, camp, or rent a cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In summer the TEXAS Outdoor Musical plays at the park's Pioneer Amphitheater.

  • #state park
  • #canyon hiking
  • #lighthouse rock
  • #camping
  • #horseback riding

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What's around here?

The closest stops to Palo Duro Canyon State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Museums

    Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum

    Check prices

    A history museum on the West Texas A&M University campus in Canyon, currently closed after a fire safety inspection.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Bill's Backyard Classics

    Under $25

    A family-owned museum in Amarillo showcasing more than 100 restored classic and vintage cars and trucks.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    The Big Texan Steak Ranch

    No admission fee

    Order a hand-cut steak in a western-themed dining hall off I-40, or watch someone take on the 72-ounce steak challenge.

    15 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink

  • Museums

    Texas Air & Space Museum

    Check prices

    An aviation museum near Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport that shows civilian and military aircraft and space-related artifacts.

    16 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing

    Harrington House

    No admission fee

    A 1914 Neoclassical home in Amarillo that shows Panhandle cattle-era history and the later oil-and-gas era of the Harrington family.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway

    Under $25

    Watch the Texas State Bison Herd roam red rock canyons, hike or ride some of 90 miles of trails, and see bats leave Clarity Tunnel.

    54 mi awayMore like this

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