What I love about Texas is that it has a little bit of everything. You can spend the day on the beach then drive to the mountains, desert, lakes, forests, or even salt flats without even leaving the state. So its not too surprising to say that Texas even has its very own version of a Grand Canyon, Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is one of the most well known state parks in Texas, because it is home to one of the most iconic hikes in Texas; the lighthouse. The lighthouse is a beautiful landmark and is gem of Palo Duro. Everyone knows about it, but there is another lesser known yet super amazing landmark that Palo Duro holds; Palo Duro Caves.
These caves show the beauty of what lies inside these giant red cliffsides. This is probably the most fun and interactive hike in Palo Duro Canyon State Parks. It is definitely the most unique at least.
Camping At Fortress Cliff Campground
We camped at the Fortress Cliff campground which is one of many! Fortress Cliff Campground is a tent area towards the lower half of Palo Duro. It is a small loop with condensed campsites. Each of the campsites have water, a picnic table, and a firepit.
The terrain was flat and super nice for a tent, but Texas dirt isn’t easy break so I HIGHLY advice you bring a hammer to get those tent stakes in. Another perk of Texas that every plant wants to kill you so beware of the thorns and stickers in the grass and trees.
Another downside to this campground is that there is a lack of bathrooms. There were porta potties, which doesn’t bother me; unless they are porta potties without toilet paper! I am not sure how often they take care of the potties, so just a helpful hint to bring some toilet paper.
Other than that we loved our stay at Fortress Cliff Campground. It was a comfortable and beautiful to be surrounded by the red cliffsides. We spent the night listening to the coyotes yipping and during the day watching large stick bugs crawl around the trees.
Even with the entire campground filled with people it was still peaceful and felt like we were the only ones in the desert. We camped in October so it was down in the 40s at night, so it was a little chilly. This was the perfect time to come though because it made hiking so much more enjoyable than hiking in the 100 degree weather of the summertime.
It was a really nice campground and we loved our time here! Just don’t forget to pack some toilet paper and a tent hammer!
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Family Friendly Hike To The Palo Duro Caves
Palo Duro Canyon State Park is one of the most well known state parks in the state of Texas because it is home to the iconic lighthouse hike! Now that is one amazing hike, but for a mom of 4 kids ages 5 years and younger; 5 miles isn’t as easy as it is alone. Now don’t get me wrong, my kids are great hikers, but we tend to stick to the shorter hikes just to not over-push them. They love to hike, but that is because we hike on their terms.
Saying that we tend to stick to hikes that are 3 miles and under, and this is how we found the hike to the Palo Duro Caves. I am a huge fan of the AllTrails.com app and spend a ridiculous amount of time looking up hikes. Any way this is the only place that you will be able to find the hike to the Palo Duro Caves. It is not located on any of the maps you will receive from Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
Though the hike does not show up on the Palo Duro Canyon State Park maps, it IS still a hike. There is a turn off and a parking area and even a picnic table at the trailhead. The trailhead is not however marked by any sign.
Actually, the trailhead itself is not super noticeable. Let’s be honest it’s a desert so its not like there is grass around a dirt trail, everything is dirt. If you have the AllTrails navigation app up though it will show you which way to go.
Once you start going though it is pretty apparent where the trail is. The trail is super easy with maybe 2 spots that require a large step up or down. It isn’t flat but it has no major climbs or descents to it. Like I said it was so easy my 2 year old did the entire trail by himself only taking my hand for the 2 larger steps.
The trail is beautiful and leads you close to some large red rock cliffsides. The cliffs are so beautiful. Once you walk past these large cliffsides, continue your hike past them to get to the entrance to the Palo Duro Cave. If you can’t see the cave entrance from the trail than you haven’t walked far enough.
Inside the cave it is large enough to hike through, but is very rocky, very dark, and is an upward climb. This is where you will want hiking boots and a headlamp! By dark I mean pitch black darkness the farther you get into the cave. Going in without a flashlight you will not get super far.
The caves lead towards the top of the cliffside and this is where the climb up starts to get pretty difficult. This is about as far as we went with kids, but I am sure you can go farther if you enjoy climbing.
This hike is super fun and really pretty that takes you to a new perspective to Palo Duro Canyon State Park!
Tips For Hiking To Palo Duro Caves
- Bring a headlamp. At the start of the caves there is a bit of light coming in, but the farther you go the darker it gets.
- Use the AllTrails app! The trail is not marked all the greatest and so when in doubt use the app.
- Download the map before you go. There is not much service throughout the state park so if you want to find the location and the trail, download it before you go.
- Wear hiking boots. The trail to the caves are pretty solid and not hard, but once you get to the caves it is all rock.
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These pictures are so pretty!!