Palo Duro Canyon

Amarillo By Mornin'
Up from San Antone
Everything that I got
Is just what I've got on.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky,
I'll be buckin' at the county fair.
Amarillo By Mornin'
Amarillo I'll be there.

 

If you go to Amarillo when you get done with your graffiti at Cadillac Ranch, the next place to see is 

Palo Duro Canyon

• Known as “Texas’ Grand Canyon.”

• Man has inhabited Palo Duro Canyon for approximately 12,000 years.

• Palo Duro Canyon is located on the southern high plains, an area called El Llano Estacado or "staked plains." 

• The rim of the canyon is considered part of the short grass prairie while the elevated moisture of the canyon floor supports a 

greater diversity of plants including some medium and tall grass species along with shrubs and trees. 

• Palo Duro Canyon contains many species of wildlife including the rare Texas Horned Lizard, and Palo Duro Mouse.

• Other species include wild turkey, white tail and mule deer, Barbary sheep, coyotes, cottontail rabbits, roadrunners, and 

western diamondback rattlesnakes. 

• The canyon is approximately 120 miles long, 20 miles wide, and 800 feet deep. 

• The slopes of the canyon reveal the colorful natural history of the area.

• Dating back 250 million years, the oldest layers of rock, Cloud Chief Gypsum, can only be seen in a few areas in the canyon