Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

One of the Visitor Centers at an Overlook

We left Caprock State Park and headed to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  We visited Palo Duro once before in April of 2009 but it is so beautiful that we decided that we were too close not to run over and see it again. 

On the way over to the park we were getting pretty hungry because our lunch was not much.  We finally found a little restaurant called "Something Different By Kay" in the small town of Silverton, Texas.  Since I have been on Weight Watchers for awhile now and have been doing well, I tried to stay good.  I ordered some shrimp with vegetables and a salad.  However, the specials came with dessert and they told us it was cake so I told Lee he could have mine.  Then they delivered it.  It was the richest looking cake I've ever seen.  It had a whipped topping for frosting with bits of toffee in it.  I changed my mind and ate the whole thing.  It was delicious and I'm still not sorry!  The waitress said it was her favorite cake too.  They make the cake and pour sweetened condensed milk over it and add toffee.  If I ever get over this diet, I'm going to try to make this for company one of these days.  I wouldn't dare make it just for us - we'd eat it all!

Our Truck at Palo Duro

The park opened on July 4, 1934 and contains 26,275 acres of the scenic, northern most portion of the Palo Duro Canyon. The Civilian Conservation Corp of the 1930's constructed most of the buildings and roads and did a good job since most of what they built are still used today.

The Canyon is 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide, and has a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. Its elevation at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level. It is often claimed that Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. The largest, the Grand Canyon, is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide, and 6,000 ft. deep.

Palo Duro Canyon was formed by water erosion from the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. Early Spanish Explorers are believed to have discovered the area and dubbed the canyon "Palo Duro" which is Spanish for "hard wood" in reference to the abundant mesquite and juniper trees.

We just love all the colors in the rocks here.  Everywhere you look, it is just gorgeous!

Anyone know what kind of bird this is??

Berwick's Wren

Wild Turkeys

Looking Down at the Visitor Center

Longhorns