Caprock Canyons State Park

If you’re looking for a camping home where the buffalo roam, look no further than Caprock Canyons State Park. Located in the Texas panhandle, 100 miles southeast of Amarillo, Caprock Canyons is a land of vibrant shale and sandstone cliffs and canyons at the transition between the high, western plains and the sprawling, eastern grasslands. After serving as cattle and ranchland for nearly a century, and a railroad passageway in the mid-1900s, the area was designated as a state park in 1982 to protect the diverse landscape and serve as a wildlife preserve for native bison, pronghorn and white-tailed deer, in addition to almost 200 species of birds. Whether you favor a developed camp area with plenty of amenities, or a more primitive setting with more seclusion, Caprock Canyons offers seven different campgrounds for parking your RV or pitching your tent. In the southern part of the park, the Honey Flat and Lake Theo campgrounds have 44 sites available; the former provides 30- and 50-amp hookups and shower facilities. In the more rugged western part of the park, the Little Red, South Prong (two locations) and North Prong camp areas offer 80 walk-in and hike-in tent sites. These primitive sites have vault toilets, but no water or trash. The Wild Horse area has 12 sites for equestrian campers. Campsite rates range from $12–$22/night. With nearly 90 miles of trails inside the park, there is no shortage of wandering options, from casual river walks to strenuous canyon hikes. If that’s not enough, there’s another 64 miles of hiking, biking and riding on the adjacent Caprock Canyons Trailway. This scenic railroad route turned multiuse path crosses numerous bridges and passes through a bat-filled tunnel. Wildlife aficionados can go on the lookout for some of the region’s raptors, songbirds and waterfowl, or observe the resident Texas State Bison Herd. For cooling off in the warm summer season, there’s swimming, fishing and paddling at Lake Theo. You can even take a park tour on an open-air shuttle.