Re: Caprock Canyons - Any experience?
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Made my way out there Monday and have to say it's a great park.
I arrived about 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon and got my campsite set up in the Little Red Tent Camping Area. The view from my site of the southern portion of the park was fantastic, and I pretty much had the area to myself except from one other couple that were a few campsites over.
After I got my camp set up, I hit the lower canyon trail hiking east toward the old windmill by the horse camping area. The trail cuts across the Little Red River several times, but it's just as easy to walk along the river bed. Despite what appeared to be recent rains, it wasn't too muddy. About halfway down the trail I spooked a three-foot rat snake crossing in front of me. We saw each other at about the same time and both instantly froze, he checking me out and me trying to get a glimpse of his tail and markings to make sure he wasn't a rattler. I took another step toward him and he quickly turned around and headed back the way he came.
I met one other hiker along the trail, and not long after, it started raining lightly. After about 30 minutes of heavy drizzle, it tappered off, and the remaining rain clouds made for a great backdrop for photos of the windmill. On the hike back to camp I came across a small (fist-size) tarntula on the trail.
Not to long after it got dark Monday night, storm clouds swept through the southeast, giving me a pretty good lightning show as I sat by my fire. Lightning was soon followed by a pretty heavy shower, which tappered off just before midnight. Not long after I turned in, it started raining pretty good again, including lightning, making for a slightly wet night's sleep.
Tuesday I hit the upper canyon trail. The trail started running through dirt-red canyon walls covered in scrubs, continuously criss-crossing another river bed. It eventually cut up the canyon wall in a steep, rocky climb until eventually the trail tops the ridge and starts down the north side. I decided to follow the ridge on the Haynes Overlook trail for a couple miles to the scenic overlook, where I had a great view of the northern canyon as I ate lunch on the rocky outcropping. The trail from the overlook takes a slightly more gradual path down, where it meets up with the Canyon Loop trail before heading back out to the parking lot, although a different parking lot than where the upper canyon trailhead is. Luckily, a couple of picture takers gave me a lift back to the truck.
Other than the rat snake and tarantula, I saw a couple of mule deer fawns as I drove into the park, and got some good pictures of them. I also spooked a doe as I made the climb up the ridge from the upper canyon trail to Haynes Ridge. I also was serenaded to sleep Tuesday night by a pair of coyotes howling at the moon.
The park was great, and nearly empty of people. One thing that I really liked that unfortunatly isn't always the case, was the trails were nearly devoid of garbage. Usually in state parks it's not uncommon to come across someone's discarded chip bag or granola wrapper, but Caprock's trails were pretty clean. Definitely go if you have the chance.
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