Palo Duro Canyon State Park
We visited Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, Texas in 2021 while driving from North Carolina to Southern California. We stopped here only because we needed a stopping point for the night, and it turned out to be one of our favorite stops on that trip!
When you pull into the entrance there is a paddock with Longhorn Bulls right next to where you park! There was some hay nearby that they were chomping on- we watched them for a while (and took a couple pictures), then proceeded on to our hike. We hike the most famous trail in the park- The Lighthouse Trail. It’s a 6.1 mile out and back trail to a rock formation known as The Lighthouse. It’s a moderate trail with a more difficult rock scramble at the end. The views along the trail are gorgeous views of the canyon around and a desert landscape (look out for critters- we saw a tarantula while on this trail!)
We stayed the night at one of the Palo Duro Glamping Cabins. You still used the main camping bathhouse, but had beds, a kitchen (refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker), a grill and outdoor space all to yourself. We got a burger kit from the Trading Post for dinner, which was super easy to cook up and enjoy on our patio. The Glamping Cabins are dog friendly with an extra dog deposit.
All around this was a great stay and a great park! We would definitely stop by again, there are a 18 trails in total and we only hiked one-so there’s so much more to do. Keep an eye out on the website or Palo Duro Canyon’s social media pages for weather updates (the do have some occasional flooding issues on some of the trails). Enjoy!
Park Details:
ADDRESS: 11450 Park Road 5, Canyon, TX 79015
HOURS: Open Daily 7:30am- 10pm
Park Office: Open Daily 7:30am- 5:30pm
ENTRANCE FEE: $8 per Adult, Free for Children 12 yrs and younger
TRAILS: 18 hiking trails to choose from
ACTIVITIES: Hiking, Biking, Horseback Riding, & Camping
DOG RULES: Dogs are allowed on all trails and campsites (Dogs are not allowed Cabins, but are allowed in select Glamping Sites). Dogs are not allowed in park buildings. Dogs must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Please pick up after your pet and do not leave your pet unattended.
Check out our videos about this Park on instagram @axel.theadventurepup and TikTok @axeltheadventurepup
