Palo Duro Canyon - May 10, 2009

Pictures Home  View the Slideshow


Cayce graduated from Texas Tech on Saturday, and with a late flight back on Sunday we were able to drive up to Palo Duro Canyon. It was a cool, cloudy day. The canyon is said to be the 2nd largest in the US. It is long, and wide, but not nearly as deep (max 800 feet) as Grand Canyon (max 6000 feet).


A replica of the Goodnight dugout shelter, used by the first rancher in the canyon in 1876.



The area around the Mesquite camping area has fewer trees but plenty of interesting geological features.

The view from most of the way up the canyon road. I like the first photo here, where you can see the distinctive rock layers in both foreground and across the canyon on the other wall. The most visible, multi-colored strata you see were laid between 200-228 million years ago in the late Triassic in what is called the Dockum Group in the Llano Estacado.

Views from the overlook near at the very nicely done Visitor's Center.