Is a visit to Palo Duro Canyon worth the trip? Absolutely – nature at its finest! This stunningly vivid and brilliantly colored gorge in the Texas Panhandle gets its name from the sturdy wood of the mesquite tree that you see throughout the Canyon: Palo Duro Canyon, the second-largest Canyon in the U.S.
Palo Duro is the Spanish word for hardwood or hard stick.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Yes, this was another of our plans, but it was not a planned trip. I am forever trying to find a fun place for us to visit within driving distance, and fortunately, searching for and going to new places is my favorite thing to do.
Steve and I decided to make this a grand adventure trip—all four days long! We got a late start on our first day and stopped in Hico, Texas, that afternoon. We enjoyed Hico so much that we keep returning. Additionally, we spent some time in nearby Dublin, Texas, on our way home.
See my story about our visit to these historical and fun towns at Two small towns in Central Texas.
On the first day of our journey, we reached Abilene and spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express.
Make a Reservation!
By mid-afternoon, we were in Palo Duro Canyon. We did have a reservation, and I recommend one because a limited number of visitors are allowed in the park daily. Steve and I did not have a reservation at Caprock Canyon and were denied entry the following day.
That was disappointing, but it was my fault. Texas State Parks highly recommends reservations. You can make reservations online or by calling (512) 389-8900.
The Canyon
We did not plan to stay overnight at the Palo Duro. The park provides day-use sites, tent sites, RV sites with 20-amp and 30-amp hookups, and Cowcamp Cabins. I hope to return to Palo Duro Canyon and stay in one of these unique little cabins.
They are rustic cabins built in 1933 and have heat or a/c. There are only seven of these cabins, and reservations are hard to come by. The luxury Doves Rest Cabins are also available for rent. You can find more information about each lodging offering on the Palo Duro Canyon State Park website.
Palo Duro Glamping is also available here. At Palo Duro Canyon, every level of “camper” can have a perfect overnight experience.
We both enjoyed a tasty burger lunch at the Palo Duro Canyon Trading Post at the bottom of the Canyon in Canyon Park. The Trading Post is a small gift shop, sundry, restaurant, and ice cream shop.
There are many hiking trails, and we will enjoy returning to cooler weather to wander around a bit. There are so many opportunities to enjoy nature here. Aside from hiking, you can go horseback riding, birding, and geocaching.
The park houses an amazing outdoor theater, where the family-friendly outdoor musical TEXAS has been performed weekly during the summer for nearly 55 years.
We will return for a longer visit in late fall or early spring, when the weather is more comfortable. I am particularly interested in staying in one of the Cowcamp Cabins!
Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
We left the park just before 5 p.m. and reached the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in nearby Canyon. Canyon Museum is on the West Texas A&M University campus and presents exhibits illustrating the lives of pioneers to Native Americans from the Texas panhandle.
The large museum is on two floors and requires at least two hours to see and absorb all it offers. On the first floor, there is an entire pioneer town exhibit portraying the Plains people in their everyday lives.
Extensive exhibits depict the petroleum industry in the area, and presentations illustrating many other facets of the Texas Panhandle experience are also on display. This museum has beautiful art galleries on the second floor.
Wheeler, Texas
Our next destination, Wheeler, Texas, is only a few hours away. I lived in Wheeler as a teenager and was curious to see the town as it is today. The courthouse has been refurbished since I was last there. Isn’t it magnificent?
Steve and I were fortunate enough to enjoy dinner and a great visit with a friend from my high school days here. The following day, at my friend Elaine’s suggestion, we visited nearby Mobeetie, which turned out to be the highlight of our trip.
See my blog post Take a step back in time to the Wild West of Mobeetie, Texas.
Shamrock, Texas
After our evening in Wheeler, we drove the 18 miles to Shamrock, Texas, where we stayed overnight. Shamrock is at the crossroads of Interstate 40 (formerly known as Route 66) and U.S. Route 83.
The historic Conoco Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Café, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, are in Shamrock on the old Route 66. Have you seen the 2006 Cars movie?
In that movie, you might recognize the U-Drop Inn as the inspiration for the character Ramone’s automotive shop in Radiator Springs. The nicest and most helpful ladies in the Visitor’s Center, Oleta and Betty, shared the history and some of the stories about the U-Drop Inn, including a visit from Elvis Presley.
What great stories!
Sights along the way
Spying unusual and unexpected sights as we drive along is one of my favorite things. In rural areas, we often find many Christian religious statues and shrines, and that was the case a few times on this trip as well. Here are some unexpected sights we encountered on this Panhandle of Texas trip.
Windmill farms
We saw these windmills just outside Roscoe, Texas, less than an hour from Abilene. They were everywhere, as far as my eye could see.
A 15-foot Jesus in a box?
Along the drive, between Abilene and Palo Duro Canyon, we found this statue along the highway next to Saint Isidore Catholic Church in Abernathy, Texas. The explanation I read online (unverified) is that this statue is a replica of one assembled in Ecuador based on a vision one of the parishioners had.
In the vision, the parishioner saw Christ swaying on the cross, creating a gap between Christ and the cross. The parishioner reported that Jesus spoke to him and said he wanted all of humanity to pass between him and the cross.
This story inspired a Colombian priest to have a replica built at the parish he served in California. He was subsequently transferred to Fort Worth and then Abernathy. The statue made each move with the priest (Louis Dussan). In 1997, the building was built around the statue. Interesting story?
Giant cross
Again, we’re just driving along and see this gigantic 190-foot cross visible 20 miles in any direction in the flat Texas Panhandle landscape. Online research told me it is named The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ and is in Groom, Texas, just off Interstate 40.
We did not stop here on this trip, but did visit here on our amazing two-month RV trip. Fourteen life-sized statues of the Stations of the Cross surround this one giant cross.
Painted Route 66 wall
Donley County Courthouse, Clarendon
Jones County Courthouse, Anson
Home of Bob Wills, Turkey, TX
Bob’s Oil Well, Matador, TX
Bob Robertson, a business promoter, advertised his gas station by keeping a zoo that included live rattlesnakes, lions, monkeys, a white buffalo, and other animals – all to entertain and amuse passing tourists.
Steve and I have had another enjoyable travel adventure on this drive to the Texas Panhandle. We learned a lot about the history of Texas in this part of the world, met some fantastic people, and spent FOUR days together in the same car. We are most definitely having a grand retirement!
Thank you, Judy. The Jesus in the box was eye-catching. I hope to see more of these courthouses too.
Jesus in the box is fantastic. Also love those old majestic courthouses.
It was definitely an unusual thing to see just along the highway, but it does have a good story, and as you say, similar to Ireland holy wells and shrines.
Interesting Jesus in the box. I thought you were going to say it pertained to the Route 66 given the sign says Christ of my path, and the priest was from CA before moving. It slso reminded me of some of the religious holy welks and sites seen in Ireland. What a neat find!