Caprock Canyon State Park, TX
Address: 850 Caprock Canyon Park Road, Quitaque, TX 79255RV
Campsites: range from drive up sites with electricity to hike-in primitive sites.They also have equestrian campsites with corrals.
Features: Covered picnic tables, fire pits, bathhouse, swimming, no-wake boating and fishing, hiking, biking, bbq shack on the grounds, free roaming bison.
If you have spent any time in the Panhandle of Texas you have most likely heard of Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Palo Duro Canyon and the 2nd largest canyon in the US and is worth a visit! But about an hour south of there is another canyon that we thought was impressive as well. Caprock Canyon hosts the Official Bison Heard of Texas, displays a beautiful ‘Spanish Skirt’ on the canyon ways and is teaming with prairie dogs that entertain for hours. Who doesn’t love to watch prairie dogs?!
The campground is small and fills up quickly during peak seasons, but we were fortunate to go when the crowds were gone in September. The Camp Hosts were very helpful and the grounds were well maintained. At the time, we were just starting out our full-time adventures and did not realize how large the sites actually were in comparison to other campgrounds. Each site had a covered picnic table and low lying trees/shrubs providing privacy from the Nextdoor neighbors. Just beyond the RV sites was a field that overlooked the canyon. It had public bathrooms and showers and a playground. But what made it such a great space was the view! In the evenings, the sun sets over the canyon. We spent our evenings watching prairie dogs scamper in and out of wholes while the buffalo slowly grazed in a nearby field and the kids played nearby. All the while the sun was slowly sinking in the sky giving the ‘Spanish Skirt’ a spotlight to display it’s magnificent colors. One evening we had some pretty nasty storms coming our way. It was a bit nerve wracking, but the sky sure did put on an impressive show! We watched the clouds and lightening roll in over the canyon as the land is so flat you can see for miles and miles.
The park has several hiking and biking trails throughout. Being new to hiking and mountain biking, at the time of our visit, we kept to the easy trails, but there are challenging trails up to 15 miles long in the canyon. The temperature down in the canyon can easily be 20-30 degrees hotter then on the rim. So be careful when you head out on the trails. Consider the time of day and bring lots of water! There is a trail along the canyon rim that we biked one evening. It is an adventure our kids still rant about (more in the video below!). The trailhead is right next to the campground and the trail itself is mostly sand and loose dirt. The trail is a loop and fairly easy for kids to do. Just watch out for buffalo and don’t ride off the track. The Goat Heads (large nasty thorns) will puncture all of your tires! Yup, we learned that the hard way!
This State Park is really a gem in the Panhandle of Texas. If you have a chance to get away for a weekend or your are traveling through the area, definitely check it out. We stayed for 4 days and that was plenty of time to take it all in. After Caprock Canyon we stayed at Palo Duro State Park for about a week. Both parks have a linked history with the Comanche Native American Tribe and the Official Bison Heard of Texas. (See the post - Ranger Garbutt and the Official Bison of Texas for more). They make a great pair for history and beauty, so if you have a week or more to get away, it is worth visiting both parks.
https://youtu.be/GRkl9IFvM84