Palo Duro Canyon State Park is the reason to come to Canyon. Often called the Grand Canyon of Texas, it cuts a vast red-rock trench through the high plains, with walls that drop hundreds of feet from the seemingly endless flatland above.
The Lighthouse Trail is the classic hike, but the park also has shorter walks, mountain-bike routes, horseback riding, campsites, and rim viewpoints for travelers who do not want a full desert workout. Summer heat is serious; autumn and spring are much kinder.