2. Palo Duro Canyon: A Texas Treasure (Part 1
of 2)
In this short essay, Joe Batson, a native of Amarillo, Texas,
and acting President of the Coldwater Cattle Company,
shares his knowledge about Palo Duro Canyon.
3. Palo Duro Canyon: A Texas Treasure (Part 1
of 2)
As a lifelong Texas resident, I feel a considerable
attachment to the state’s sweeping expanses of prairie,
rugged backcountry, farms, ranches, and canyons. Part of
what makes the Lone Star State unique is the region’s
unsurpassed natural beauty, a true treasure we must work
to preserve for future generations. I grew up on an old-
fashioned Texas ranch, gaining considerable familiarity with
Mother Nature on a daily basis, whether on horseback, on
foot, or from the cockpit of a small aircraft. (I earned my
pilot’s license while still in high school). Of all the places in
the world I’ve had the opportunity to visit, Palo Duro
Canyon still stands apart as one of the most striking
environmental wonders I have ever laid eyes on.
4. Palo Duro Canyon: A Texas Treasure (Part 1
of 2)
Often referred to as “the Grand Canyon of Texas,” Palo
Duro Canyon takes its name from the Spanish for “hard
wood.” The park contains an abundance of native flora that
flourishes in a climate notably inhospitable to less hardy
species of plants. Dotted with sunflowers and prickly pear
cacti, as well as mesquite and juniper trees, the canyon’s
vegetation can withstand even the most inclement weather,
including drought, wind, rain, and harsh summer sun.
Nestled in the heart of the Texas High Plains, Palo Duro
Canyon boasts a fascinating geological past rivaling that of
its larger cousin to the west, the Grand Canyon. Layers of
rock tinted red, purple, yellow, and white form the canyon’s
towering cliffs, its red clay floor sprinkled with glittering
white gypsum.
5. Palo Duro Canyon: A Texas Treasure (Part 1
of 2)
Situated approximately an hour by car from my hometown
of Amarillo, Palo Duro Canyon is currently protected by
various conservation groups, the Texas Parks & Wildlife
Department, and the Texas Panhandle Heritage
Foundation (TPHF), an organization I helped co-found in
the 1960s.