Five Nights in Palo Duro Canyon State Park
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| Site 112 in Palo Duro Canyon State Park |
We ended up in Dodge City on day two, and plans of staying in the RV once again changed as the weather seemed to follow us south. We did find Dodge City Brewing, and woke to about 2 inches of snow, but luckily the roads were pretty clear, and improved greatly just about 20 miles south.
We initially planned a two night stop in Palo Duro Canyon State Park on our route to New Mexico. As the predicted temperatures for our planned departure date in Minnesota kept going down, I started adding days on the front end, and eventually we added three days for a total of five at the park. At $17 a night, we agreed it was small (extra) price to pay to escape the bitter cold up north. What I thought was a convenient waypoint on our way south became a wonderful surprise. We made the most of our time in the canyon, exploring both hiking and biking trails.
Here's a short video of the trail.
Capital Peak
Capital Peak is a mountain-biking trail that traverses the scenic canyon country around Capitol Peak with three levels of difficulty for various biking skills. I hiked a portion of this trail in a loop around our campsite, while Tim experienced the trail on his bike. Here's a short video of his ride.
Rock Garden Trail
On our last day in the Canyon we ventured to take the Rock Garden Trail, a 5 mile out and back trail to the rim of the canyon. Most of the trail is fairly rocky (hence the name), with intermittent switchbacks where you climb up almost 800 feet. The reward is an expansive view of the canyon looking south. Here's a short/fun video of that hike.
Lighthouse Trail
The first trail we wanted to tackle was the Lighthouse Trail, a 5.8 mile out and back trail, where hikers are rewarded with the beautiful views of the Lighthouse rock formation. Most of the trail is fairly easy - flat and not too rocky. I ended up taking the 'easier' route for the last .1 mile, which ended up requiring me to navigate around a rock with a steep drop-off which I just could not get around. So Tim was the only one to actually get to the Lighthouse. Maybe next time.
Here's a short video of the trail.
Capital Peak
Capital Peak is a mountain-biking trail that traverses the scenic canyon country around Capitol Peak with three levels of difficulty for various biking skills. I hiked a portion of this trail in a loop around our campsite, while Tim experienced the trail on his bike. Here's a short video of his ride.
Rock Garden Trail
On our last day in the Canyon we ventured to take the Rock Garden Trail, a 5 mile out and back trail to the rim of the canyon. Most of the trail is fairly rocky (hence the name), with intermittent switchbacks where you climb up almost 800 feet. The reward is an expansive view of the canyon looking south. Here's a short/fun video of that hike.
Sightseeing in Amarillo
Since we did have a few extra days in the area, we were able to explore some of the Route 66 attractions including Cadillac Ranch, the Route 66 historic area, as well as The Big Texan Brewing, Pondaseta Brewing, and Bar Z Winery. Click the links to see those reviews, and enjoy a few images below.
While we were disappointed we had to leave Minnesota a few days early to outrun the cold front, we were very happy to spend those extra few days in Palo Duro Canyon State Park and the Amarillo area. With hiking and biking within feet of your campsite, it might just be a place we revisit. Up nex for us in our Winter 2022 travel was Carlsbad, NM.
Have you been to Palo Duro Canyon? What did you enjoy most - hiking, biking, or just being in the canyon? Leave your comments below! Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
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