The Must See Palo Duro Canyon

The Palo Duro Canyon is called "The Grand Canyon of Texas" and is the second largest canyon in the United States. It is 120 miles long and is as wide as 20 miles! The maximum depth is 800 feet! The Canyon has a lot of history, too. There have been traces of humans there as far back as 12,000 years ago! The earliest settlers were the nomadic tribes. Later on, Apache Indians lived there but were soon replaced by other tribes. In 1876, Charles Goodnight opened a ranch in the canyon with more than 100,000 cattle. The ranch is still working today, but it's nowhere near its original size.

Honestly, I loved the canyon and went almost every day. There are beautiful views, hiking, rock formations, even a musical production! With little kids (and my mom would say even with big kids), I would keep a sharp eye on them because there are no guide rails on some of the trails. Near the information center there is a very good view with a guard rail, but once you actually get near the building the railing stops. Enforce the no running rule there, but the canyon is a must see place near Amarillo, Texas!

~Katherine