Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon is the most expansive Canyon in the United States that is not the Grand Canyon. You can actually drive through the canyon as well which is quite incredible. The canyon spans 120 miles, goes up to about 900 feet in depth, and is full of wonderful sights and things to see.

when we started our day, we first drove into the canyon a little bit, taking pictures off the side. We met several lovely couples, including some that came from England, and found ourselves striking up conversations with all kinds of locals. After a traffic detour had cleared up, we descended ino the canyon, stopping for pictures and sights to see many times. amongst these were a wildlife blind, a rather large cave, a cowboy dugout, a rock garden, and a hike.

in the 98°F weather, we hiked a 3 mile, 1.5 hour hike to the Lighthouse rock, which was used as a lookout for Native Americans during the government conflict in 1874. The Comanche, Cheyenne, and Kiowa tribes fought against the US Cavalry. It was another genocide brushed under the carpet of history. When we made it, we jumped for joy, as it was one of our hardest hikes yet. I then went on to climb the lighthouse rock, tapping out all of my energy stores and ridge-running for the very first time in my life.

At the lighthouse rock!

Returning from the canyon was arduous, as visibility was low. it still, however, marked one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of the Texas panhandle (no-man's-land), you must visit the canyon. $5 for entry and a lifetime of memories.

We even stopped at Cadillac Ranch on the way back down to Dallas!