Hi there!
I'm new to camping, I've only been to Garner when I was really young. Since we live in Houston I thought it would be a great road trip to head to Palo Duro Canyon. DH is not a fan of the heatbut I figure we could take a portable A/C unit, etc...
My question is what is the best time to go? We plan to take a Thursday and Friday off to have an extended weekend. We can do this anytime between April and August.
Also, if we decide on a cabin can we still have tents on the site also? We will only have out truck and standard camping supplies. It will be a total of 8 people, including 2 tween kids.
Thanks!
Angel
If you go the earlier the better for avoiding the heat. We went in April last year and it was already upper 70's. Add the Panhandle Plains museum nearby for a day outing.
There are some good reports and pictures on this web site, hope you read them and saw the pictures
However, there are very few cabins and they fill up fast, there is no extra room by the cabins for tents that I recall and suspect they do not want tents near them either.
It is a nice park to see
Palo Duro Canyon - June 2008 - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation
It will be a super long drive from Houston, but it's really pretty out there ( once you get into the canyon). Hope this will be helpful.
Charcoal is a spice, dirt is a condiment, and there is no 3 second rule.
Thank you so much for your responses! DH is asking so many questions, the main one is: What activities are there to do besides camping? Also, how does it compare to Garner?
Thanks!
Angel
Where to start, first Palo Duro activities include horseback riding, hiking, nature study, bird watching, mountain biking, and scenic drives. There is also the Official Play of the State of Texas which returns to the Park. It will run Tuesday through Sunday beginning Friday, June 5.
Also the museum (not in the park) is worth the time. And the BIG TEX steakhouse in Amarillo is good eatin!
You can not really compare the two parks.
Both have much different vista's, one being a canyon in the desert, the other being in the hills along a stream. Garner offers hiking, nature study, picnicking, canoeing, fishing, swimming in the Frio River, seasonal miniature golf, paddle boat and kayak rentals (mid-March through Labor Day weekend), and bike riding (surfaced).
Again worth the trip, Palo Duro is much bigger but no water to speak of. Palo Duro is a lot less crowded but it is in the dessert not along the Frio. Both can be fun.
Take DH to both !
We used to frequent Palo Duro for mountain bike riding. Many of our trips centered around riding and Palo Duro was at the top of the list.
The climate out there is odd, primarily because of the desert setting. If you go in the summer, the evenings will be plenty cool. It gets real hot during the day, but the nighttime is perfect camping weather.
Activities – Biking and hiking, as previously mentioned. The hike to the lighthouse is an easy, enjoyable hike (IIRC). There’s a little train in the SP that takes you around the canyon which is fun. I know climate is a concern, but if you can wait until June the drama “Texas” is worth a watch, especially if you enjoy Texas history. As others have mentioned, the museums around Canyon are good places to get out of the heat.
Finally – the best part of our trips to Palo Duro were our trips to Elkins Ranch for the Cowboy Breakfast.. good eatin there with activities for all ages, including cow chip throwing contests. The Elkins Ranch, Palo Duro Canyon - Texas
Elkins has other offerings too, but we haven’t experienced them.
Palo Duro cannot be compared to any SP in the Hill Country or the Piney Woods. The parks in the panhandle are completely different. That’s what makes our state so great!
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