state parks
Down Into the Panhandle
Palo Duro Canyon does not announce itself. It just opens, 800 feet deep, in the middle of a wheat field.
By Dell Whitaker, Contributing writerMay 19, 2026 · 6 min read
Everything about the drive to Canyon, Texas prepares you for nothing. Then the road tips over the rim.
The Lighthouse Trail runs six miles round trip through mesquite and juniper, level enough to lull you, and finishes with a short brutal scramble to a 300-foot sandstone column that has been the Panhandle's landmark since before there were roads to it.
Carry more water than you think. The canyon floor runs hotter than the rim and there is no shade to negotiate with.
- palo duro
- hiking
- panhandle
- state parks
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