Palo Duro Canyon - 02

I had not hiked the Lighthouse Trail since I was in high school and have wanted to go back there for years. Our trips to Amarillo rarely include the time or priority for a trip to the canyon. I had the right opportunity on this trip - a free morning and travelers that liked hiking. The Lighthouse is the iconic rock formation of the park but it is not next to roads. It is roughly a 6 mile round trip and is marked as moderate skill. My high school self remembered it being pretty easy but the trail was not well-marked and you needed to pay attention to directions. Things are different today than my 50 year old memory! The trail was VERY well marked and heavily worn with its clear popularity. We were at the trailhead at 8 AM and the parking lot had only a few cars. We saw no hikers going our direction but a few that were returning from their very early morning hike.

The river through the canyon is the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. There is no doubt where the Red River got its name as your shoes will never be the same after hiking the canyon! Our trail headed west so the sun was at our backs making for some nice lighting as seen in the photo today (and yesterday). The colors were stunning despite dry conditions.


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