Palo Duro Canyon

November 2024

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We took a family camping trip at Thanksgiving, so Palo Duro Canyon could be crossed off Dad's bucket list.

Here is our trailer at Panhandle Lodging RV Park when we arrived the evening of Monday, November 25.

Nov 26: Rock Garden Trail (~5 miles round-trip)

Quite a few of the trails were closed because of recent rains, so our selection was somewhat limited.

Nov 27: Lighthouse Trail (2.8m to bottom of the Lighthouse's escarpment)

This is one of the most popular trails in the canyon. However, while the "Lighthouse" at the end is photogenic, we found the hike itself to be not very interesting. It is mostly flat until you get to the base of the Lighthouse, then it is a rather vertical climb up the escarpment, and you can't actually see the Lighthouse until you reach the top.

Nov 28: Thanksgiving

No hiking today. We had lunch at "It's a Punjabi Affair" for a rather NON-traditional Thanksgiving meal of Indian food and watched Wicked at a movie theater in Amarillo.

Nov 29: Triassic Trail to CCC Trail (~1 mile)

We parked the truck at the start of the Triassic Trail. My plan was for us to hike out to the Goodnight Peak Scenic Loop & return by the same route, but we never saw a trail sign for the Scenic Loop off the CCC Trail. This actually ended up being the best hike of the trip, as the CCC Trail took us down the side of the canyon to the amphitheater parking lot. Dad & I waited at the Mack Dick Pavilion across the road while Chad hiked back to fetch the truck.

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Last updated: August 29, 2025