March can be a tricky month – winter and spring are struggling with each other for dominance and humans are placed in the middle of a battle between goliaths. Although the weather wasn’t quite as warm as we originally thought (and hoped), we survived our stay in Palo Duro Canyon and became all the tougher for it. Or at least I like to think so.
This camping trip was a special trip because it was a family trip! My sister, her husband and their two babies joined us on our hiking and camping adventures this time around. I was really excited about my niece and nephew joining us because my (not so secret) goal is to ensure that they will be tiny xicanx explorers too and that they’ll seek out and take advantage of the beautiful parks around us in a way that my siblings and I weren’t able to as kids. My parents didn’t have the time, money or know-how to take us to state and national parks – the extent of what we knew consisted of our local city parks. I recall going to McKinney Falls on school trips as a kid, but because it wasn’t something consistent, I never really thought about the park as more than an occasional adventure. It makes me really happy to know that that won’t be the case for Máximo and Penélope.
The 6+ hour drive to Palo Duro Canyon State Park from Austin is absolutely worth it. Getting through the line of cars waiting to get into the park took a bit of time, but it wasn’t too long of a wait, and we got to admire the longhorns grazing in the fields next to the park entrance while we waited. Before coming to the park I didn’t have a strong sense of how popular the park was; now I can tell it is clearly a Texas favorite. The Texas Parks & Wildlife website goes so far as to call it the “Grand Canyon of Texas,” which makes sense when you consider that it’s the second largest Texas state park and covers around 28,000 acres. When we entered the park and started the descent leading towards our campground, it was a beautiful sight to behold. Once I saw this, I knew that we were going to have an incredible adventure.
Another nice surprise? Upon entering the Hackberry Camping Loop we saw the wild turkeys and the deer freely and happily coexisting. By the look of it, they’ve gotten used to each other and to humans, because they did not hesitate coming into our campsites, poking around for food.
We had a few rough nights because of how low the temperature dropped – when we woke up, we found frost on the tents and our fingers felt like they would freeze and fall off. A burn ban was in effect, which meant no wood fires to keep us warm. My nephew Máximo is about 2 years older than Penélope and had been on hunting trips with his dad, which made it easier for him to acclimate to the cold. Penélope was not having any of that, as you can tell by the look on her face. But –
the next day when the sun came out, all was good again!
Our first full day there, we decided to set out on a short hike that was approximately one mile long. The Paseo del Río trail was listed as an “easy” hike that promised a river view and a look at a cowboy dugout from the 1880s so we opted with that one. My sister warned me, and I soon confirmed by experience, that even a short hike would take us at least an hour to complete.
Penélope insisted on stopping every few yards to reach down, grab the dirt, and play with it. At one point she even decided to roll around in it and made sure we took her picture as she did so.
Máximo would run ahead and then come back and want to be carried. In the end they both won and were carried back to the campsite, tired and in need of a nap.
It may have taken us a lot longer than I anticipated, but it was well worth it to be able to spend time adventuring with my favorite tiny humans.
After lunch the kiddos needed a nap and my partner and I decided to venture out on our own for a short hike. The CCC Trail was a three mile hike listed as “difficult” because you’re essentially hiking from the canyon rim to the canyon floor and then back up again through rocky terrain. It’s pretty amazing to think that members of the Civilian Conservation Corps hiked in and out of the canyon using that trail every day, multiple times a day, as they were creating the infrastructure for the park.
We ended the day by going on an evening hike with a park ranger. It felt safer to hike at night with a large group and with the understanding that we would be hiking at a slow to moderate pace with multiple stops. The sun set and the moon shone bright and beautiful. One of the cool things we learned is that you can use a flashlight to spot spiders on the trail – if you shine the light in their eyes, you can see them sparkling in the dark.
The next morning was a particularly cold one. No one was happy and getting ready looked like running in and out of the tent to avoid spending time in the cold as much as possible. The forecast indicated that it would be cloudy and chilly for most of the day, but the conditions would become more tolerable as the day progressed.
Rather than hide in the tent for a few more hours, we bundled up, hopped in our cars and headed into town. We found a cute coffee shop with wifi, ordered coffees and hot chocolates, and sat down to enjoy them for as long as we could.
Fearing how low the temperatures would drop that night, my sister, brother-in-law, and the kiddos decided to head to a store to buy a couple of small gas heaters for the tents. In the meantime, my partner and I drove back to the park to do some more exploring.
When we drove back into the park we decided to do a loop around the park to get an idea of where we wanted to explore next. As we drove, we saw a lot of cars pulled off to the side of the park road. We stopped to investigate and realized they were all heading to The Big Cave. This would be our next destination!
We climbed and explored on our own until the kiddos caught up to us. I was skeptical about whether they would be able to make the climb up into the cave because of how steep it was, but with some hand holding and a slow and steady pace, everyone made it into the cave.
The future xicana explorer and xicana space warrior!
After everyone had gotten their fill of climbing up and down, we moved onto more steady terrain. The kids wanted to do some hiking and we opted with the Juniper Riverside trail that was one mile and listed as a “moderate” hike.
The next morning, Lindsay and I set out for a long early morning hike led by a park ranger. The Lighthouse Trail was almost 5.5 miles roundtrip and listed as a “moderate” hike. The trail lacks shade and it’s one of the trails in the park where the most heat-related injuries and deaths occur. The Lighthouse Trail is a must-see because you’re awarded with a view of the lighthouse formation and a stunning view of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
It was hard not to look serious with the sun in my eyes. We warmed up on the hike, but once we got to the lighthouse formation, the chilly wind made it necessary to put my purple fleece back on. Selfie stick ftw.
We’re pretty cute.
Along the trail we learned about the various plants common to the park, including Mormon Tea, which is from the Ephedra genus (anyone remember Ephedrine?). If you’re looking for a natural way to get a kick in the morning, this is the plant for you.
We also learned that this particular geologic formation is called a Spanish skirt, for the way the various multi-colored layers are positioned that resemble – wait for it – a Spanish skirt.
Our last hike of the trip later that day was to the Rock Garden Trail, a little under 5 miles and listed as a “difficult” hike. We climbed from a field of boulders at the bottom of the canyon floor to the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail along the rim.
The time we spent at Palo Duro Canyon State Park was incredible and I can’t wait to return. I’m eternally grateful and happy to be able to share my love of the outdoors with my family, especially the tiny ones, and to become stronger and more fearless with each difficult and challenging hike completed.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
11450 Park Road 5, Canyon, TX 79015
(806) 488-2227
Adults: $5 daily / Kids 12 and Under: Free
