Exploring Palo Duro Canyon State Park and a Stay at Dove’s Rest Cabins

Palo Duro Canyon is called the “Grand Canyon of Texas” for a good reason. At 120 miles long, and a depth of 800 feet, is the 2nd largest canyon in the US. Located about 30 minutes outside of Amarillo in the Panhandle of Texas, it takes some effort to get here, but it is well worth the trek. After living in Texas for over 20 years it was time for us to make the 5 hour drive from north of Dallas to this very unique state park.

One Entrance to the Park

The single entrance is south of Amarillo and just east of a small town called Canyon.

Once you pay your entrance fee, the first overlook point is just about a 1/2 mile down the road. This is where you get the first perspective of how large this canyon is.

The only visitors center is just below the lookout point. Much of the original work done in this park was done by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) between the years of 1933-1937, including this visitors center. The state of Texas purchased a piece of Palo Duro Canyon, as a part of the state park system, in 1934.

After a stop at the top, it’s time to descend into the canyon. The picture below does not due the steep drop justice as you drive down by car. This is the only road in and out within the park, to the floor of the canyon. There are 16 miles of paved roads to see the park from inside the canyon.

The final scene of Indiana Jones and the last Crusade was filmed in Palo Duro Canyon. Can you just see Indi and his dad riding off into the sunset?

Once to the bottom of the canyon, park the car and just get out for a hike. There are creeks and rivers that meander throughout the canyon. This land has a ton of history in the geology that makes up the canyon and the indigenous people that lived in the area for thousands of years.

There are both RV and tent camping sites available. There are also a handful of very rustic efficiency cabins to rent. Then, we stumbled upon these cute tent structures, that seem to be newer. They are called, “Glamping,” complete with electricity and A/C inside. Good for those hot Texas nights!

For a step beyond “glamping,” we opted for these adorable and fully stocked cabins at Dove’s Rest. This small resort is just one mile outside of the park. The individual cabins sit literally at the edge of the canyon.

Inside, they have great kitchens, comfy beds, cozy sitting areas and even a fireplace because it does get very cold in Texas!

The best feature is their location, positioned at the edge of the canyon. What a beautiful view to fall asleep and wake up to.

After eating dinner in, a walk around the property reveals more beauty of the area at sunset. A great end to a gorgeous day!

Another benefit of staying so close to the park (if you don’t want to camp or glamp) is that you can go in and out as you like, after paying the daily fee. So why not get up early to watch the sunrise over the canyon?

The light continues to change as the sun comes up. Like most of you, all of our pictures are taken with an iPhone. They do a pretty good job but nothing compares to seeing this in person!

A short drive back to the cabin for showers and breakfast. Then it was time to return to the park for a big day of hiking. Below is the beautiful Capital Peak. Note the moon just over the top of the mountain. Getting this picture was sheer luck on a brilliantly clear day.

This visit was during late fall, so the day was beautiful and the temperatures cool; perfect for hiking. This is Texas so use extreme caution when hiking in the heat of the summer.

The most popular trail in the park is the 6 mile round trip hike on the Lighthouse trail, to see the iconic rock formations. At first, it feels like a nice meandering walk. Depending on the time of the year, this popular trail can feel like a highway. After about 2 miles you get the first glimpse of the Lighthouse formation.

At just about 2 1/2 miles it feels like you should be there but the trail veers off to the right, seemingly away from the formation. Then, you come upon the tough part; the hike up. There are points that an inexperienced hiker is climbing hand over hand.

The first look that you are going the right way. Note this is high noon, but the temperature is about 50 degrees. You would not want want to be here at noon in July.

It’s exciting to be getting so close.

There it is! These formations took thousands of years of creation so arriving here leaves you somewhat awestruck.

A better look from below. We did see people climbing to the top of the formations but we were content with our accomplishment in hiking this far. It is really beautiful.

Final Look at The Lighthouse

The most iconic hike in the state park. It was worth the very long trek. Be sure to bring lots and lots of water and a few snacks to keep you going!

Since it was a road trip we brought our slow cooker so we could have a hot dinner after a long day of hiking. The cabin smelled soooo good when we return. (This cabin was so well stocked they also had a slow cooker to use!)

As we rested after a terrific day in the park we were in for another treat. Aoudad Sheep (also known as Barbary Sheep) roam this area. Dove’s Rest Cabins has done a great job of creating a wildlife sanctuary so these animals, and others, are free to roam and grow in this area.

This was right outside the window of the cabin. At one point, the herd of about 40 sheep were just grazing as the sun set on the day. It’s a beautiful wildlife moment.

A great couple of days in Palo Duro Canyon State Park and Dove’s Rest Cabins, with a delicious dinner to finish it off. (Recipe coming soon!) This time we enjoyed a cooler late fall trek. We will be back and hope this inspires a visit for you too!