Palo Duro State Park

Monday, April 29

"Nothing to make a shadow", that was the first thing to pop into my mind as we left the rolling green of northern Texas Hill Country and entered the plains area of the Texas panhandle. Flat....as far as the eye can see, the sky becomes so large it dwarfs even the modern day wind generators slowly rotating above the dwarfed farm houses and outbuildings. 

Sometimes it's a lone windmill, other times the entire farm seems to have been given over to "wind farming".  The book title I mention above was written by a woman recalling her very early days as a settler on the plains of South Dakota. I wonder what she would think of the Texas plains. Not much in the way of shadows here, even now.  

I can't begin to imagine the surprise of those who arrive from the eastern states so many years ago, traveling across the miles and miles of flat-flat-flat land known as the Great Plains, only to come upon this, an 800 foot deep canyon laced with layers of red and white with glistening rivers and creeks flowing through a small forest of trees and shrubs.

We're staying in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. The Spanish name "Palo Duro", which translates to "hard wood" refers to the Rocky Mountain junipers that grow here. The canyon also contains mesquite (also a very hard wood), cottonwood, willow, western soapberry and hackberry. A variety of shrubs and other greenery fill the canyon floor, especially this time of year when many things are in full bloom.

The early development of Palo Duro Canyon as a park relied largely on the work of the Civilian Conservation Corp. First came the road, a fascinating and very steep involving many switchbacks. Then came the El Coronado Lodge. The building serves as the visitor center and gift shop today, but a photo tells of the rustic luxury of the Mission era when it was first completed.

The many retaining walls and stone bridges found throughout the park are also the work of the CCC. 

Palo Duro Canyon was formed over millions of years. of water erosion by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River with a bit of help from the famous the West Texas wind. The cliffs, gullies, layers of color and ever changing shadows are a joy to watch as the lighting changes during the day. Some of the formations have been given fanciful names, like the Lighthouse, taken as the symbol of the canyon. We also learned about the Sad Monkey, which can be viewed from the area behind the Old West Stables. 

Many years ago there was a small railroad that ran in that area, providing visitors with ongoing narrative about the canyon and it's history during the ride. The name "Sad Monkey was inspired by a rock formation, and the sprit is kept alive in the name of a mercantile just outside the park. The historical Sad Monkey Railroad is no longer running, a victim of regulations and insurance costs, it has been restored and sits on display in Neblett Park in the nearby town of Canyon. In 2019 a state historic marker was placed near the train display in the park. The tracks have been removed and bits of them are available on Ebay as souvenirs. 

The nearby town of Canyon (20 miles away) is worth visiting, if not for the train, then for a visit to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the beautiful collection of artifacts, art, and cultural presentations. This is truly a beautiful museum, with the most artistic, informative and professional presentations of historic artifacts, art objects, and the range of cultures in the area over time. I couldn't help taking a few photos, though it's difficult to truly present the experience without being there. 

The Native Americans knew about Palo Duro canyon long before the settlers arrived of course, they had been living in the canyon and hunting the abundant wildlife for generations. That fact and the desire for the settlers of the westward movement led to the Red River War. (more here Red River War) It was not just one simple battle, but part of a process over several years that led to the complete destruction of the Native American culture in the plains area. The Panhandle-Plains Museum does an excellent job of illustrating the complexities of the cultural changes of those times. 

The park is a network of trails and offers surprising things to discover along the way. We heard the turkeys long before we saw them, and it took some serious hunting to find the dugout style cabin. Wildflowers and shrubs we've never seen before decorate the slopes, and there are several small creeks crossing the trails. Horses, bicycles, dogs and humans are all welcome here. 

Our site is #90 in the Mesquite Camp area. It's a great site, with  couple of drawbacks. The first is, there is a giant dumpster placed exactly where a vehicle needs access to in order to make the swing when backing a trailer into the space. The second is that the shelter and picnic table assigned to this site are actually closer to the adjacent site than to this one. This is probably the result of changes in site design over the years, and we have a table of our own as well as the shade of the awning so all is well. We have lots of space and a great view to the canyon out the back window. 

The dogs are loving all the room for sniffing, and the many trails for our frequent walks. Though all the spaces seem to be occupied by evening this doesn't seem to be an especially busy time of year for the park.   

The book mentioned is  Nothing to Make a Shadow. Faye Cashatt Lewis. 1940

 More photos in the album, along with some explanatory notes. 

    

Lake Brownwood State Park

Our travels in the past have generally been to sites and activities in other states, but there is so much fascinating history in Texas, not to mention beautiful scenery, that we've decided we'll try for shorter trips closer to home for awhile. Our final destination on this short excursion is Palo Duro Canyon State Park, in the panhandle area of Texas.

Sunday

Our first travel day was windy, overcast, and a bit wet. Not so great for driving or photography, but it did provide an opportunity to test out the new hitch stabilizer. 

After several hours of driving in pretty stiff wind the Trail Master reports. . .  The Way-Safe allows adjustment based on an internal weight scale which allows for real time adjustments depending on the load at the time.  Theoretically this leads to better sway control. So far so good, but still evaluating. 

(click on any photo for a larger view)

Our reservation for the evening was in Lake Brownwood State Park, about a 3 hour drive from San Marcos. 

This is a bass lake, and other campers mentioned they were here for a fishing tournament, but it had been delayed a day because of the nigh winds. Fortunately, Sunday dawned bright and sunny, so I'm sure the contestants all had a good time. 

 We arrived late in the afternoon and settled in to space #1 in Willow Point loop. What a great site! Plenty long, no obstructions to make backing in difficult, and a beautiful wildflower meadow for our front door. 

We enjoyed driving around the park and exploring the many structures left by the CCC corps.

Many of the projects the CCC completed have succumbed to the effects of weather and erosion, but many remain.

A stone picnic table the the foundations for benches, along with a fireplace for warming are tucked up in the trees only a few campsites away from ours. 

There's also a beautiful lodge with stone walls and smaller out buildings that are still in use, though they need a lot of TLC.  

 A monument in front of the lodge  honors the men of the Civilian Conservation Core and the 36th Army Infantry Division which worked alongside and supervised the CCC in the building of the park. 

Access to the lake for fishing and boating include several boat ramps and fishing docks. The water level is quite low due to the past several years of drought, but the docks and bridges all seem constructed to adapt to the changes. 

One path and fishing pier caught my eye, they are designed to float as one piece, while just past them is a sturdy bridge over the water that seems arched high enough to accommodate any possible rise in water level. 

Though we only spent two nights in the park we enjoyed it very much. The wildflower meadows and multiple places to hike walk the pups are hard to beat!

By Monday the sun was shining and all the wildflowers perked up. Our meadow from the campground entrance had quite a variety of flowers, and this seems an especially good year for the cactus blooms.

Departure day, wouldn't you know it? Fog rolled in.... 

 

Now, northward to Palo Duro Canyon!