Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Hiking in Palo Duro Canyon State Park | Camping in Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge | December 2024
After leaving Washita Battlefield in Oklahoma, we drove another hour or so into Texas to our intended camping spot for tonight. We entered the state on I-40, then drove South on TX-207. For most of the drive, it looked just like you expect the Texas panhandle to look like — flat, ranch land scattered around, not much going on. But then out of nowhere, we entered the Palo Duro Canyon and the Llano Estacado, and it was like being transported to a different world. The road took us down into the canyon, the red canyon walls looking extra bright in the golden hour glow, then we made our way up the other side and to tonight’s sleep spot: a roadside rest area overlooking it all! Curtis’ brother’s fiancé had car camped here and spoke so highly of it, we knew we had to try it out, and it was definitely worth it!
When we first arrived, we were the only ones here, but after dark a few other vehicles joined us for the night. We enjoyed eating our dinner at a picnic table looking out over the view, then watched the colors change as the sun set. Whenever we drive West, we always look forward to the first moment when it truly feels like we’re in the desert, and tonight was definitely that moment.
The next morning, I made breakfast with the door open because the morning temperature was finally warm enough, then we packed up and got on with our day. Today’s plan was to drive to Palo Duro Canyon State Park and do some hiking, then camp about 30 minutes West of there. After several days of driving with minimal stops, we were so excited to change things up, do more and drive less! However, we still had to drive an hour to reach the state park because despite driving through the canyon and sleeping at this lookout, we were still that far away from the official state park entrance — that just shows how big this place is!
When we arrived, we paid the $8 admission fee for me (as a veteran, Curtis gets in free!) then drove to the visitor center to inquire about the best trails. The ranger told us we really couldn’t go wrong with any of them, especially if you’re as infatuated with red rocks as we are. We knew the Lighthouse trail was one of the highlights, but that it was likely too long for Charlotte. However, the ranger told us that if we could make it halfway on that trail, we would be able to see the Lighthouse rock from a distance, so we decided to try that out. We drove down into the canyon and to that trailhead, grabbed water and prepared for our hike.
The hike to the lookout of lighthouse rock was about 3 miles round trip, with very little elevation gain. We found that the view of the lighthouse rock was mediocre, but the canyon walls and other rocks that we got to walk by along the way were the true highlight. The trail often split into different paths and it wasn’t always easy to figure out which was the official trail, but there were signs at the actual trail junctions that helped us along the way. Being a beautiful Saturday right before the holidays, it was fairly busy, but according to the ranger it’s somehow even busier in the summer — even though it gets super hot and is the worst season to hike in here. Apparently it’s bad enough that they close this trail to prevent unprepared visitors from going out and overheating. Anyway, our favorite group we crossed paths with was a family with a young boy who was belting out “Last Christmas” – but just the chorus over and over.
After we finished our hike, we drove over to a picnic area and had lunch while Charlotte napped in the sun, and then the shade. We remembered from our visits to Caprock Canyon State Park in Texas last year that the campgrounds had free, unlimited hot showers, and wondered if we might be able to find our way in. We were successful at this, though we just used them for a quick rinse off for what would be our last shower in….longer than I want to say. We also topped off our water tank, then said goodbye to this park for today. I honestly don’t know which state park – Palo Duro or Caprock Canyon – is my favorite — they’re both beautiful with red rocks and plenty of trails to enjoy. I am glad we visited them on different trips though to give them each the time they deserved. As far as camping goes, Palo Duro wins for having that free rest area, even though it was an hour away!
After leaving the park, we grabbed gas and then drove West on US-60 for around 30 miles to tonight’s camping spot. Tonight we would be paying for a campsite for the first time on this trip — a whole $2 to be all alone in the campground at Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge. We picked out a spot, then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing before making pizza and turning in for the night. We didn’t see any wildlife, but we still very much enjoyed a lazy and quiet night here before resuming our drive West.
