I had a chance to spend a few days out at Caprock Canyons a week or two back before the weekend crowds came in. The drive took me about six hours from Dallas and I was able to hit the Eagle Point Trail plus see the new visitor's center which was all prepped for the 25th anniversary of the park's opening. Compared to the old visitor's center the new one is almost three times as large plus it has one or two small exhibits inside. If only the other visitor's centers in the other state parks were just as nice. I set up camp at the Little Red Tent camping area Thursday night.
Friday morning I was up early and hit the Upper Canyon Trail from the South Prong camp area. The trail crossed the South Prong River several times and, surprisingly enough, it had a nice little stream of water going through. I'm not sure if the river is spring fed or not but it sure was a welcome sight in the arid canyon.
About a mile and a half in I passed the South Prong primitive area. It was a bit overgrown but the location wasn't a bad one. Shortly thereafter I began the rough, rugged and steep climb up to Haynes Ridge. If you decide to hike this section of the park make sure you keep an eye out for the trail markers and be sure of your footing. That trail isn't a place to get careless. By the time I reached the top the temps were getting a bit warm and I didn't feel like hanging around on the plateau in the midday sun so I decided to back track back to the trailhead.
After getting back to the car I decided to head into the bustling city of Quitaque (pronounced Kitty-Quay) for some lunch. Even though the town's population is less than a thousand there is an excellent burger joint in the center of town called The Sportsman Grill. If you're in the area I highly recommend the place as everything is made to order and the fries are the real thing.
Friday night saw the park attendance almost quadruple. I moved over to the South Prong Tent Camping area and called it a night around midnight. First thing Saturday morning I headed over to the North Prong Trailhead. This trail goes through the vast bottom of Lower Canyon (I believe that's what it's called) and opens up to expansive views. About a mile in you hit the North Prong primitive area. If you decide to stay in one of the primitive areas definitely give this area some serious consideration. I'd say it's the best between the two.
Shortly thereafter I reached the junction between the Upper Canyon and Lower Canyon trails. I opted for the Lower Canyon to check out the riverbed and all of the erosion that has taken place in the area. It offered a nice contrast to the 'cliff climbing' that I did the day before.
Around midday I once again turned around as I had to get home before it got too late. I'm already making a point on my next trip (yeah, there will be another one) that I plan more than three days. The park is much larger than I expected and warrants a more thorough investigation. Definitely one of the better parks that I've been to lately.
Here's a few photos:
Caprock Canyons State Park - TX - 101807 - 102007 pictures from hiking & backpacking photos on webshots
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