Saturday, April 25, 2015 – The Lighthouse at Palo Duro Canyon

Saturday, April 25, 2015 – The Lighthouse at Palo Duro Canyon

On everyone’s bucket list should be experiences to view the wonders of God and the works of nature created by Him.

On Monday, April 20, 2015, BFF Luddite and I hiked The Lighthouse Trail in Palo Duro Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon, at 120 miles long and 800 feet deep, is the second largest canyon in the United States and is referred to as the “Grand Canyon of Texas.” Palo Duro is Spanish for hard wood with reference to the Rocky Mountain juniper trees found in the canyon.

The Lighthouse Trail leads to the Lighthouse formation created by erosion of winds and waters. The Lighthouse is 310 feet high and has been designated as a National Natural Landmark. The trail is considered moderate in difficulty and with a total roundtrip of 5.75 miles.  Note: this does not include the last 600+ yards of climb.

Ready? Here we go. FYI – Click on a photo to enlarge. Then use the back arrow to go back to the blog.

 We’re off. Staring time about 9:30 am

Most of the trail is flat.

        Look closely in the center of the photo. This is the first site of the Lighthouse. We’re about two miles away.

 With the telephoto lens.

Why trekking poles are good to have.   As one approaches the Lighthouse the trail narrows and becomes more rocky. This is taken looking backwards. Poles are good.

 From a plateau. Almost there, but you can see we still have a climb.

But we made it.

Palo Duro Canyon from the Lighthouse formation. Looking back, you can see the trail.

But what goes up, must come down. If you look closely, you can see a dark streak.  This is where I slid down on my feet, guided by my trekking poles and my butt never touched the dirt. Thank you KQ for such strength and agility.

 Cactus flowers growing from the side of the canyon.

We arrived at the starting point about 2:30 PM. What a great day.