You Gotta Go

I have wanted to see Palo Duro Canyon from the time I knew it existed. Big Tex prefers water over inland vistas though, so I knew I would have to get creative. I have a friend who is a member of the Texas Archeological Society. Every summer, she goes on the coolest digs. Finally, I gathered the courage and invited myself along.

I chose the perfect year to get started. First, the TAS was going to Palo Duro. Second, the rare summer rains were causing cooler temps and extended flowering of the canyon. It was amazing. I didn’t get to do much hiking, but I did see amazing views while surveying and excavating with the TAS.

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History of the Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon was formed by erosion of the Caprock Escarpment by a fork of the Red River. It’s the second largest canyon in the United States.

The Canyon offers something for every era of history. It was home to several cultures of American Indians. From pre-history onward the canyon provided shelter, food, and water to these cultures. The Indian Wars saw the end of the American Indian lifestyle, with one of the last battles being waged in the Canyon. You can read more here.

The Canyon was once owned by Charles Goodnight and John Adair as part of their cattle kingdom.

Many of the trails and structures found in the canyon were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression.

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Texas Archeological Society

I was totally blown away by the hospitality and professionalism of the TAS. My friend has been a member for many years. She provided me with the campsite and member connections and then went out to be part of Field School. I don’t know the date of the first TAS Field School, but I did see parents who had attended when they themselves were kids. It’s an annual event where kids come to learn about archaeology by doing archaeology. As a teacher myself, it was amazing to see so many kids excited about science and history.

Aside from Field School, there were other excavations going on. The TAS was working to survey the Canyon and record data for possible future excavation. The group is made up of professionals and nonprofessionals. I’ve always enjoyed working around self-directed hobbyists. I mean, they do it because they LOVE it.

I thought the most amazing find was a mammoth bone. I was flabbergasted when fellow team mates turned their noses and kept digging. Turns out, bones are paleontology. The history of people is archaeology, so we were looking for FCR and artifacts.

The Road Trip

The trip to Palo Duro Canyon was 7 hours for me. I learned that sometimes it pays to take the toll road. I traveled I-35 to Ft Worth and from there took 287 through Wichita Falls, Vernon, and Childress. I stopped in Quanah, TX simply because it’s named for my favorite person from Texas’ history — Quanah Parker. Read more about his mother, Cynthia Ann Parker here.

An alternate route would have been I-35 to I-20 (through Abilene) and then to I-27 (through Lubbock).

A side trip worth noting is Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo, TX.