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Palo Duro Canyon is thought to be the second largest canyon in the United States and is often referred to as The Grand Canyon of Texas.

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Located in the Panhandle of Texas, Palo Duro Canyon is some 120 miles long, up to 20 miles wide and reaches depths of 800 plus feet with the canyon walls being some 3,500 feet above sea level.

Palo Duro means “hardwood” in Spanish and is the name given to the canyon by the early Spanish explorers who found plenty of hard wood mesquite and juniper trees in the area. Palo Duro Canyon was formed by the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red River as it carved its way through the high plains of the Texas Panhandle. The water erosion combined with wind erosion to create this grand and stunning scenic canyon filled with geological formations like caves and hoodoos surrounded by the beautiful multicolored layers of exposed rock and earth.

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Probably the most famous formation in Palo Duro Canyon is the Lighthouse hoodoo.

Image via Wikipedia

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Humans have inhabited the area for at least 15,000 years. When first discovered by Spanish explorers in 1541 Palo Duro Canyon was inhabited by Apache Indians but they were displaced by Kiowas and Comanches who lived in the canyon until they were displaced to Oklahoma reservations by the United States Cavalry in 1874.

According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service the Indians in the canyon were forced to surrender to the Cavalry after their 1,400 horses were captured and destroyed by the Cavalry in what is known as The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon.

In 1876 Charles Goodnight with seed money from Irish businessman John George Adair set up the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon. At its peak the ranch had over 100,000 head of cattle in the canyon area and a buffalo herd which still survives to this day. In 1934 the state of Texas began purchasing sections of the canyon and opened Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

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Over the years the state has continued purchasing ranches in the Palo Duro Canyon area and adding them to the park. The latest purchase was the Fortress Cliffs Ranch which added almost 3,000 more acres to the park in 2008 including over 6 miles of Palo Duro Canyon scenic overlook cliffs along the northeastern part of the canyon. The public purchase saved 6 miles of scenic overlooks from being developed as housing complexes.

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Palo Duro Canyon State Park hosts outdoor presentations of the historical musical Texas every summer from June to August in the Pioneer Amphitheater with accompanying barbecues and special effects.

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But to me the best part of the park is the magnificent scenery found in the Grand Canyon of Texas.

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Palo Duro Canyon State Park and the Grand Canyon of Texas is located about 1 hour’s drive southeast of Amarillo in the heart of the Texas Panhandle. You can reach the park from Amarillo by taking I-27 south for 17 miles to the Highway 217 exit. Proceed east on 217 for about 10 miles and you will be at the park entrance. Continue along the park road which loops you right through the Grand Canyon of Texas.

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More Grand Canyon articles and photos:

Grand Canyon Fatalities

The Grand Canyon of the East

The Grand Canyon of Georgia

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

Did you know Texas has waterfalls? See them at Beautiful Texas Waterfalls