Goza's Wanderings and Wonderings: 2nd Largest Canyon in the U.S.

Location: Oasis RV Park (el. 3,800 ft); Amarillo, Texas

(all pictures taken with Nokia Lumia 929 cell phone)
(click pictures to enlarge)

When I left Louisiana a couple of weeks ago, my destination was Palo Duro Canyon. I wanted to see the second largest canyon in the United States. Since there is a state park that covers a portion of the canyon, I planned to camp there. After the zero cell service at Caprock Canyon, I knew it would be the same thing at Palo Duro so I decided to find a campground in Amarillo and make a day trip to Palo Duro. It worked out well. I found a nice campground on the west end of Amarillo with concrete pads so I could inspect the underside of Liberty and still be close enough for the day trip. I also have cable TV so I was able to see the New Orleans Saints beat the Falcons last night.

Campsite at Oasis RV Park, Amarillo

Palo Duro Canyon was privately owned until the 1930's. It was home to the giant JA Ranch with was managed by the legendary cattleman, Charles Goodnight. Thousands of head of Longhorns, owned by the JA Ranch, roamed free in the canyon for decades. It was very difficult to round up the cattle to sell when they were mixed in with the mesquite and other vegetation. Once barbed wire became common place, natural boundaries such as the canyon was no longer needed. Eventually the longhorns were cross-bred with other types of beef cattle to make a better stock. The State of Texas bought parts of the canyon in the 1930's and turned it into a state park. The Civilian Conservation Corp help with the development of the park. Today there is a long road system in the canyon where you can see most everything. If you want to get a more close up view, there are trails to walk but I decided against it. I just wasn't in mood for some reason.