Palo Duro Canyon, Canyon system in Armstrong County, United States.
Palo Duro Canyon is a gorge in the Texas Panhandle that extends for 40 miles and cuts down as deep as 1,000 feet (300 meters) in some spots. The formation displays alternating layers of red and ochre rock that can be traced during walks through gentle hills and narrow valleys.
A military campaign in 1874 led by Colonel Ranald Mackenzie resulted in the removal of tribes from this area and opened the way for ranching. Charles Goodnight established the JA Ranch on the slopes a few years later and used the grasslands for large herds.
The performance at Pioneer Amphitheatre carries the title TEXAS and links music with regional stories about life on the Plains. The show ends with fireworks that illuminate the rock faces in different colors.
More than 30 miles of trails pass through flat and steep sections and suit walkers and cyclists. Overnight stays are possible at basic tent sites or equipped lodgings.
The Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River flows through the valley and continuously exposes rock layers from the Permian and Triassic periods. These visible sediments reach back more than 240 million years and document geological changes across the region.
Location: Armstrong County
Location: Briscoe County
Location: Hall County
Location: Randall County
GPS coordinates: 34.95000,-101.66700
Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:03
Texas combines landscapes that barely resemble each other. The west spreads out in deserts and sand dunes, while the east is marked by swamps and dense forests. Between these extremes lie limestone cliffs, natural springs, and waterfalls that bubble up from the ground. The size of the state allows for this variety. A traveler can hike through dry canyons one day and wade through marshland the next. The state preserves places from different chapters of history. Spanish missions built in the 18th century stand near Native American quarries used for thousands of years. Mining towns and military forts from the 1800s now sit empty, their wooden structures weathered by sun and wind. Plantation houses with wide porches remain from before the Civil War. Visitors can also find a Japanese garden in San Antonio, a replica of Stonehenge in the Hill Country, and underwater caves where divers explore submerged passages. The variety makes it possible to see ancient footprints, colonial architecture, and ghost towns in the same trip.
Cadillac Ranch
39.3 km
Palo Duro State Park
1.9 km
Don Harrington Discovery Center
35.7 km
Amarillo Civic Center
32.5 km
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway 5000
32.7 km
Wonderland Park
35.7 km
Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
42 km
Chase Tower
32.7 km
Santa Fe Building
32.3 km
Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
23.1 km
Mayan Mindbender
36.1 km
Amarillo National Bank Sox Stadium
31 km
Texas Air & Space Museum
29.8 km
Texas Tornado
36 km
Amarillo Museum of Art
31.2 km
Charles and Mary Ann (Molly) Goodnight Ranch House
45 km
Amarillo Zoo
35.7 km
Potter County Courthouse
32.6 km
Sacred Heart Cathedral
32.3 km
J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and United States Courthouse
32.6 km
Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm
25.9 km
Sports World
28.8 km
Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Amarillo
32.4 km
Llano Cemetery
29.7 km
Lighthouse Peak
3.1 km
Randall County Courthouse
24 km
Amarillo Natatorium
34.3 km
Texas Outdoor Musical
3.1 kmReviews
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