Lighthouse Trail & Lighthouse Rock
The Lighthouse
The classic trail of Palo Duro Canyon, ending at a lighthouse-shaped red rock pillar about 95 m tall; the round trip is about 9.6 km.
The Lighthouse is the signature rock pillar of Palo Duro Canyon, formed of red mudstone capped by harder sandstone, and it looks just like a lighthouse. The round-trip trail is about 9.6 km. The first stretch is gentle, winding through shrubs and red soil. The final kilometer is a steep climb where you need to use hands and feet to reach the platform beneath the pillar. There is almost no shade along the way, so in summer set out early in the morning and carry at least 2 liters of water per person, as visitors have suffered heatstroke in the park before. Mountain biking and horseback riding are also possible on much of the route.
Opening hours
Follows park opening hours
Nearby sights
- TEXAS Outdoor Musical
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- Panhandle–Plains Historical Museum
- The Big Texan Steak Ranch
- Texas Air & Space Museum
- American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum
- Ozymandias on the Plains
- U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District