Travelling through the flat praries of western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle around Amarillo, you would never guess that the second largest canyon in the US is so close that a distracted cowboy could literally fall into it. Palo Duro canyon was the site of the last battle fought in Texas between the US Army and the dispirited remnants of the Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne tribes in 1874.
About 120 miles long and 600 to 800 feet deep, Palo Duro canyon is now a Texas state park and we camped here one night and did a short hike where we took these pictures. We wanted to stay another night but a big storm was threatening and we didn't want to get stuck down in the canyon for days if they closed the steep road out, so we headed to Lubbock to hunker down and wait for better weather to continue on to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, our next stop.
For best viewing of the panoramic picture below, click on it to download to your phone or PC and enlarge it to pan across a wide view of the canyon.
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