Texas State Parks

Palo Dura Palo Duro Canyon State Park , 11450 Park Road 5, Canyon, Texas 79015 (806) 488-2227 • www.tpwd.texas.gov/palodurocanyon texashighways.com buffalo_lake/ Amarillo Zoo 700 Comanchero Trail, Amarillo, TX 79107Open 7 day, 9:30am-5pm, [No Thanksgiving,Christmas,New Year’s Day, MLK Day. ]No Outside food-drink Adults(13-61) $4,Senior (62+) $3 DHDC Don Harrington Discovery Center 1200 Streit Drive,Amarillo, Texas 79106 (806) 355-9547 Tues-Sat: 9:30-4:30 pm,Mondays in summer ,Sunday: noon-4:30 pm Adults- $11, Seniors (60+)- $8 Space Theater shows included wildcatbluff.org American Quarter Horse Association museum Mon-Sat--9-5 p.m. Adults: $7 , Seniors (55+): $6 (806) 376-5181 1600 Quarter Horse Drive,Amarillo, TX 79104 Lake Meredith National Recreation AreaFritch, TX 79036 (806) 857-3151 All campgrounds FREE. No reservations; first-come, first-served basis. 14 consecutive days 30-day period, no more 60 days/year. Hunters Oct 1 and Dec 31, up to 30 days allowed annually/hunter. Fires are permitted only in grills and existing fire rings; they are not allowed in the backcountry. You may gather wood that is dead and on the ground. No cutting of trees or other plants is allowed. Pets must be on leash at all times Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Place trash in dumpsters or carry it out for disposal Only drain "gray water" from trailers or boats at designated dump stations (near Fritch Fortress and Sanford-Yake Campgrounds) No metal detectors are allowed Burning pallets with nails/hardware in them is prohibited unless the hazards are removed before burning You may bring in alcohol for personal consumption. Lake Meredith camping Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument Destination: Palo Duro Canyon tpwd.texas.gov lakes meredith panhandle plains caprock_canyons map Caprock Canyons State Park Trailway quitaque panhandleplains.org palo-duro-canyon/fees Basic Campsites (Tent only) People per Site: 8 Number of Sites: 25 tent only campsites in Cactus or Fortress Cliff areas. Water in campground, not at each site. Showers are 1/2 - 2 miles away Picnic table, Fire ring, Water nearby, Shade shelter$12NightlyPlus dailyentrance fee--- Campsites with Water and Electric (30/50-amp) People per Site: 8 Number of Sites: 47 Sites are in the Mesquite and Sagebrush areas. The Sagebrush area is closest to the play 'Texas'. Some sites will accommodate up to 60-foot RV's and are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Picnic table Water hookup 30 amp hookup 50 amp hookup Restrooms nearby Showers nearby Fire ring and/or grill More » $24 Nightly Plus daily entrance fee 1 Photo » Campsites with Water and Electricity (20/30-amp) People per Site: 8 Number of Sites: 32 Sites are located in the Hackberry area. Some sites will accommodate up to 60-foot RV's and are assigned on a first come, first served basis. Picnic table Water hookup 20 amp hookup 30 amp hookup Restrooms nearby Showers nearby Fire ring and/or a grill More » Palo Duro Trading Post · 11450 Park Road 5 · Canyon, Texas 79015 806-488-2821 At the bottom of the canyon on Park Road 5 palo_duro_canyon map Old West Stables · 11450 Park Road 5 · Canyon, Texas 79015 · 806-488-2180 1 Hour Guided Ride *Minimum Age: 6 years *Maximum Weight: 250lbs Reservations (by telephone) are Required $35 Call 806-488-2180 for reservation season begins in March of each year during West Texas A&M University's Spring Break Weekend and typically continues through most of Autumn (dependent upon weather conditions). palo-duro-canyon Nature Caprock Caprock western terminus, South Plains, 18 miles in two days. Caprock Canyons Trailway from Estelline - South Plains-64-miles, 6 trail sections, ea. from 5-17 miles. 8 trailheads access from FM roads-state hwys.obtain a permit $4 at visitor center before USE. The trail winds through canyon breaks and up the Caprock Escarpment.through range land. No reliable water along route but plenty places to cache water EXCEPT Monk's Crossing to South Plains.[ 17.5 mile no public access, carry extra water]. Amenities available in Turkey: Caprock Hardware store for shuttle services Hotel Turkey B & B Galvan's [Great meal] Quitaque: Lunch , resupply at Allsup's in Quitaque (Don't carry all five days food ). Easy [nice and flat] 3-5 day backpacking trip through beautiful country. red sandstone contrasting with the dark green of juniper trees. camp east side of Clarity Tunnell at water station. bats in Tunnell pretty cool. Camp at Clarity Tunnel, next to trail in Quitaque, Turkey - local Church of Christ preacher rooms for rent downtown, Last night halfway between Turkey and Estelline. trail is . There are more views of the canyon than you'd expect. John Ferris station was out of water, Clarity Tunnel water station had water. Water is the biggest challenge along this trail. October few creeks ANY water We got lucky and found a small pound of water that we filtered from between John Ferris Station and Clarity Tunnel. Cached water between Turkey and Estelline. Emergency only: several farmers metal watering tanks 100-500 feet from trail, but filter. Houses this section within few hundred yards of trail, but again. Hikers really need to cache water along the way between Turkey and Estelline. Cell phone reception is decent to good on most of the trail. Do not count on watering stations having water unless you call , check with the Rangers ahead of time. We carried at least 3 liters of water each and from Turkey to Estelline we carried about 5-7 liters each for periods of time after we got to each of our water caches. The 46 trestles nice stops for breaks as better breeze, no dirt, less mosquito ,Carry lots mosquito spray. Animals... hog, badger, mule deer, white tail deer, hawks, turkey vulture, rabbits, deer, snakes, hawks, lizards, frogs. Not a trail for beginners to thru-hike. Rail road ballast wear you out. Like stepping on rocks half fist size in certain sections. Spring, April, early summer September, October are good times Bikes: Caprock Canyon State Park ,most trails at State Park are technical. So,something beginner friendly Monks Crossing, rode mountain bikes down to Clarity Tunnel, Trail well maintained crushed granite=gypsum. Clarity Tunnel to Quitaque Depot- Trail not maintained,like riding thru pasture. Take heed thorns and trail conditions. DONT TRY : South Plains to Turkey the first day (32 miles), spend night at Turkey Hotel, then Estelline next day for last 32 miles. Bad trails. goathead stickers, 4 or 5 each tire, so heavy duty slime tubes in, sealed off when pulled out. Albert at the Turkey Hotel very unique and enjoyable experience drastic budget cuts to Parks & Wildlife budget resulted little or no maintenance to trail. 4.5 miles from Monk's Crossing to the Tunnel, best trail The 5-mile segment from Monk's Crossing to the Clarity Tunnel resurfaced ,very nice. South of the tunnel looks decent attempted start from Quitake,completely full of Goathead thorns flatted few hundred feet. steel-belted mountain bike tires? backpacking from Monk's Crossing instead riding mountain bikes.area beautiful, camped by the tunnel and watched the bats fly off in the evening. be aware that there is no longer water on the trail. The pumps at Clarity Tunnel and John Farris Station are no longer maintained, so you must carry what you need. 3 of my 60-year-old buddies and I have completed the full 64 miles of the trail. The ==== -FortRichardson TX SP ==== segments from Quitaque to Estelline are varied, but mostly cut through red dirt farmland. very difficult red mud in places after the storm up at Clarity. segment from Tampico Siding to Parnell station is fairly pretty, but Parks and Wildlife needs to mow it as of May 5, 2012; dead sunflower stalks were too hard to pedal thru. Cactus and mesquite growing up on trail large 4-5 pound bass mud turtle in creek pool under crossing bridges on the Tampico-Parnell segment The Parnell to Estelline segment was prettier than expected, with Grundy Canyon making a beautiful view down to the Red River. Also several tree "tunnels" over the trail were welcome shade and wind brakes. A baby rattlesnake along this segment made it known that the trail was his, not ours : ) All in all, trail is workout on crushed rock rail bed. git the hang of surfing the ruts. bike helmets protecting us from flying rocks and small hail. Rangers : trail from Turkey to Estelline not maintained at all, recommend NO ONE attempt it, Fine for hiking,horse back riding,bicycling marginal,overgrown with prickly plants causing flat tires. Quitaque Canyon Trail – 17.5 miles Access: South Plains Terminal trailhead on Texas 207 and Monk’s Crossing on FM 689 South Plain-Monks Crossing very scenic drops off caprock into rolling plains, canyon breaks,and creek crossings. Camped overnight at the Clarity Tunnel Los Lingos Trail – 5 miles Access: Quitaque Depot or Quitaque East in Quitaque or Monk’s Crossing trailhead on FM 689 Monk’s Crossing to Quitaque is slightly uphill ,feels deceptively long. Kent Creek Trail – 10 miles Access: Quitaque Depot or Quitaque East trailheads in Quitaque or Turkey Depot in the town of Turkey off Texas 86 Oxbow Trail – 10 miles Access: Turkey Depot in the town of Turkey or Tampico Siding off FM 657 Grundy Canyon Trail – 12 miles Access: Tampico Siding trailhead off FM 657 or Parnell Station on Texas 86 Plains Junction Trail – 10 miles Access: Parnell Station trailhead on Texas 86 or Estelline Terminal along US 287 Info 806/ 455-1492 , www.tpwd.state.tx.us/caprockcanyons From ================================= reduceme I hiked the Trailway from South Plains to the Clarity Tunnel and back on Thursday, October 6, 2010. As noted in another review, the first few miles are pretty rough. In fact, the first 2.5 to three miles is like walking across a pasture with rocks. After those first three miles, however, it becomes pretty much a dirt road (still with quite a bit of rock) that appears to be used fairly frequently. Here, it also begins to parallel the canyon, providing regular views from right along the side of the canyon. From South Plains, it is about 12.8 miles to Clarity Tunnel, and mostly all down-hill, a fact I didn't truly realize until I turned around to go back to the truck. About 6.8 miles from South Plains is the first official rest stop, the John Farris Station. Here you find a toilet and water supply. Although the printed literature for the trailway says not to count on finding water here, it was available when I went through. There is an additional toilet at Clarity Tunnel. On this hike, I did not encounter any other person. My total distance was 25.4 miles and it took me 10.5 hours. Do not expect to find any trash containers on the trail. I picked up some trash others had left, but found no place to dispose of it. On October 13, my 10-year old son and I hiked from Monk's Crossing to Clarity Tunnel, a distance of about 4.5 miles. The path here is very well maintained, with a crushed rock type surface. The bridges have recently been redone as well, though I'd be careful on a bike since some of the screws used are not completely flush with the surface of the boards. Although we saw a water container at this end of Clarity Tunnel, it did not have water in it. I intend to continue hiking the Trailway to Estelline if possible, and will update my findings in later posts. Read before planning a trip here By Beobuck in March, 2009 I recently drove from New Mexico to the Texas Panhandle specifically to ride the CCSPT. When I arrived, I learned that instead of the 64 miles listed on Websites, only 32 miles were available, as the 32 miles from Estelline to Turkey is not maintained. At the Turkey end it appears completely overgrown with grass. So I went to South Plains to ride to Turkey, but I bailed out after half a mile. The surface--large chunks of cinders and slag and tufts of grass--was all but unridable, even on my tough, fat-tired touring bike. It was like riding over RR ties. Later I was told at the Hotel Turkey (a great place) that other riders have complained about the trail being too rough. After I bailed, I had a great ride to Turkey on the rural roads--all paved, good shoulders, light traffic, and courteous drivers. But the trail itself was a bummer. FW&D railroad By gladehightops in November, 2008 As a child growing up near the FW&D switchyard in Lubbock I am well familiar with the rail history behind the Caprock Canyons State Park Trailway. The Ft. Worth and Denver railroad ran freight trains from Lubbock to Childress via this line for years. My favorite steam engine #404 ran this line regularly carrying freight and cotton from the Plains Co-op Oil Mill in Lubbock. I have often dreamed of walking the old rail line and now have the opportunity to walk/ride at least part of it. There were only 2 or 3 railroad tunnels in the whole state of Texas and 2 are on the FW&D line to Childress. Perfect day trip from Lubbock! By jennifer2 in October, 2007 "We’re very new to this bike-riding hobby so were a little wary of our ability with a rural ride. It was wonderful! The caprock scenery was beautiful with an awesome blue sky, the weather very pleasant, and the trail condition good. On Memorial Day morning, we rode from Monk’s Crossing to the Clarity Tunnel and back (approx. 10 miles – gentle incline up to the tunnel – “downhill” back from the tunnel). After a picnic lunch, we rode up the trail from Monk’s Crossing to the bridge. This trail is an easy drive over from Caprock Canyons State Park, one of Texas’ best kept secrets, a true beauty! The trail is a 90 min. drive from Lubbock and Texas Tech University, a perfect day trip. " Night ride mid-1990's By in December, 2006 "We did an early October ""Harvest Moon"" night ride on this trail (probably in 1995) with a group mostly from the Dallas/Ft Worth area, and had a very nice ride. We rode about 30 miles of the trail, one way, in the Quitaque and Turkey area. I remember riding thru a tunnel with a bend in the tunnel. With the full moon, the tunnel was the only place we really needed lights. It was one of the most enjoyable rides I can recall. Fat tires are probably still the recommendation to do this ride. Unfortunately, the trail is probably very under-used, due to its rural location, with the Amarillo area, at about 1 1/2 hours away, being the nearest metro area." Be Sure to Call Ahead! By timtgibson in September, 2006 Be sure to call the CapRock Canyons State Park and talk to a Ranger for conditions & to insure that the trail is open. I called today and was told that the trail is closed indefinitely from Turkey to Estelline/US287 (almost half the trail!) due to lack of funding / budget cuts from the State of Texas. Hiked 6-3-2006 By in July, 2006 "Important note: The trail not currently maintained nor supported by the TXPWD from Turkey to Estelline due to budget cuts. Anyone interested in hiking this trail should seriously evaluate the times listed on length of completion. Based upon that information I planned a three day hike from South Plains to Quitaque. I ended up day hiking from South Plains to Monk Crossing (17 miles) in 11 hours; what should have taken 16-20 based on TXPWD information. Information can provide for some logistical errors. Trail has some great scenery and wildlife along with a few interesting facts. I saw more rabbits than I could count, several mule deer, biggest bull snake I've ever seen, lizards, numerous hawks, bats. Three animal highlights were: 1) was priveleged to witness a hawk with his recently killed rabbit enjoying his meal in the middle of the trail. Flew off with it after about 5 minutes. Guess he didn't want to share ;) 2) Had the crap startled out of me by a mule deer that was 20 yards away that blended into Canyon wall so well that I didn't notice him while I was enamored with how squash covering the same incline got there. After gathering my wits I got to watch him bound up the 45 degree incline and cough on his dust 3)the bats in the Clarity tunnel. A portion of the trail between Clarity Tunnel and John Farris provided a surprise that is not mentioned in any of the material in the internet. I'll let you discover it for yourself. If you're able to appreciate it ;) Although it was June, there was a constant breeze. Wasn't until 2-3:30 PM that it got to be ""hot"". The breeze could mislead some to not realize the amount of water that is actually being evaporated via perspiration. I went through 2 liters of H2O between SP and JFS. Water is very important. Ended up terminating the trip early due to injury at Monk's Crossing. The folks in the area are incredibly friendly and helpul. Two older couples out for a drive after dinner took me back into town and then onto the home of the folks that run the Caprock Home Center. The owner drove me back into town to open up the gated area to get my truck. 1st class people. You strongly recommend for shuttle service. Feel free to contact for any suggestions on hiking the trail or information." Stunning Trailway By in April, 2005 My husband and I biked 30 miles on this trailway. It wasbsolutly great. I hope more people will go there and understand what I mean. Take the whole trail By mbellah in April, 2005 "In the spring of this year, my friend Clark and I biked the whole trail in two days. The first day, we traveled the 32 miles from South Plains to Turkey. Our wives met us at Turkey where we stayed overnight in the historic Turkey Hotel Bed and Breakfast (the Internet special is $99 for dinner, lodging and breakfast). The next morning we biked on to Estelline while the women slept in and then enjoyed the antique stores. This is a great trail -- it's rougher than most. The Turkey to Estelline portion is not well traveled, but well worth the effort. We've seen badgers, deer, bats, turkeys. Watch out for the rattle snakes. I've run over more than one." Interesting ride! By tanglefoot1 in November, 2004 My wife and I rode this trail in mid-October and thoroughly enjoyed it -- even in a light mist. The scenery is great and it was a relatively easy ride for us. We are in our early 60's and have just started biking. Carry a spare tube or a patch kits; there are some thorns along the trail. Most enjoyable By in October, 2004 This is an excellent trail. I rode from Quitaque to mile marker 292 (just pass the tunnel) and the next day from S. Plains to the Tunnel. Make sure you put the Slime in your tubes before you leave. An excellent place to stay is Hotel Turkey. The rooms are great and the price is excellent. I will be back to do the entire trailway. Fun and Enjoyable Ride By in July, 2004 "This was a fun and memorable ride! My wife, our 6-year-old son and I rode the Caprock Canyons State Park Trailway during mid-July 2004 while camping at the Caprock Canyons State Park campground. We rode our bikes south from the Monk's Crossing access station to the Quitaque Tunnel (9 miles round trip) one morning and north from Monk's Crossing to the Los Lingos Creek bridge (3.5 miles round trip) one afternoon. We found the trailw in both directions to be well maintained and the crushed rock riding surface more than adequate for easy travel. We were concerned about the endurance level of our 6-year-old son, but he did superbly on a 20-inch, 6-speed mountain bike. It was pretty hot, however, so I carried a small rope in my backpack and I did have to pull him the last few miles of each ride. But even that was fun, for he fancied that his bike was a caboose and mine was a locomotive. After all, we were riding on a former railroad line. I would recommend this rail-trail to any outdoor enthusiast, especially those with an interest in railroad history. I appreciated the interpretive panels that included historic photos. I only wished there were more. Concerning wildlife, we didn't see any sheep, but we did see quite a few hawks and road runners, as well as a variety of lizards. We also saw an occasional stray cow. It was a great family outing. We hope to return again in the future when we will perhaps be able to do more of the trail. Happy Trails!" "Rough ride, but beautiful" By in June, 2004 "Don't attempt to ride this trail with a skinny-tired road bike! I rode the section from Quitaque to South Plains and back on a Vision R-40 recumbent with 2 inch knobbies at about 40 PSI. This set-up was adequate, but I really could have used a recumbent or MTB with full suspension. The trail surface is mostly this dark red gravel, and it is quite large in places (3 to 5 inch rocks!) This large gravel looks like the original railroad bed stuff, and is found especially around approaches and departures from the bridges. A few places had washboards, but mostly the surface wasn't too bad if you stay in one of the two main tracks. The grading of this rail trail is near-perfect. From Quitaque to South Plains you gain about 600 feet in altitude, but the climb is so gradual, you hardly feel it. All the old railroad bridges are still intact, so there are no low water crossings. The tunnel is full of deep wind-blown sand, not to mention hundreds of bats roosting on the rafters...but they won't bother you if you don't bother them. At road crossings there are these narrow gates you have to go through, which are made more bothersome by the fact that they are way off to the side, where the goatheads are! The last few miles near Quitaque are somewhat overgrown with thorn-bearing weeds. I stopped several times along the route to yank thorns from my tires, but none penetrated my thorn-resistant tubes. This is rough country--bring sturdy bike. Finally, the views of the caprock escarpment are spectacular, and there are plenty of opportunities to see wildlife. I saw a bunch of large deer (antelope?) along the way. Bring a camera, and plenty of water, and a cell phone. This can be a very lonely trail." A Scenic Gem By in June, 2003 "My 12-year old nephew and I recently completed the portion of the trail from the western end at South Plains to Quitaque. (A big thanks to an earlier reviewer who posted the name and phone number of the folks at Caprock Home Center who shuttled us to South Plains.) Even with a steady headwind, the gentle downward slope made it a relatively easy, enjoyable ride -- a perfect outing for my pre-teen companion. The red rock formations of the caprock canyons were spectacular, and we sighted lots of wildlife, including mule deer, turkey, and a golden eagle (near mile marker 292). The Clarity Tunnel was a real treat. We could hear the chirping of the bats as we walked our bikes through the tunnel. In the summer months, get an early start to avoid the heat. Park Rangers advised us that temperatures reached 105 the day before we arrived although only reaching 90 on the day of our ride. The water tanks along the route were stocked but take plenty of your own just in case. The portion of the trail that we biked was in excellent condition. You certainly don't have to worry about crowded conditions. Other than a rancher tending his cattle, we didn't see another soul on the trail the entire day. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and are planning a return trip to camp near Clarity Tunnel to watch the daily bat flight. In a nutshell, the portion of the trailway through Quitaque Creek was beautiful and the biking was easy to moderate. This is an underutilized gem. As a side note, we also spent some time biking the trails in the nearby Caprock Canyons State Park. The Canyon Rim Trail near the Honey Flats camping area was a fun, non-technical single-track with some great scenery. The camp sites in the State Park were very nice and well maintained. We'll be back!" How to do this trail. By KenB in June, 2001 The section to visit is the 24 miles from South Plains (western end) to Quitaque. This passes through TERIFFIC Texas Rough Canyons. Call Roland at the Caprock Home Center in Quitaque (806) 455-1193 and he will shuttle you to South Plains so you can ride one way downhill back to Quitaque. This section of the trail is very well maintained and water tanks are stocked. "Beauty, frustration" By in February, 2001 "The amazing caprock, mule deer and aoudad sheep, sandhill cranes, 46 bridges, and a railroad tunnel - what's not to like? Well, both of the times I've been on the trail ('97, '99), the state park system was only maintaining about 20% of it's length: from the parking lot at Quitaque over Los Lingos Creek and thru the tunnel to the horse trough & restroom. They were allowing the remaining 50 miles of trail to grow up in waist high vegitation and sandburrs. It might be enjoyable if you were riding a camel. " ======================