May 04 2008
Posted by CyberCelt under Camping, Camping, Fish/Hunt, Hike/Bike/Run, Horseback Riding, Nature, RV Parks, RV Travel, Wildlife Watching
Caprock Canyons
Photography by Earl Nottingham © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Did you know there is a place in Texas where you may view the history of the Great Plains, which includes 260+ million years and six major geologic periods? The story is told in the sandstone cliffs and multicolored clays that form gypsum-laced pedestals, hoodoos and slides of the canyonlands. Standing on the bedrock of the Southern Plains, you will agree that Caprock Canyons State Park amd Trailway is unlike any other area of Texas.
Caprock Canyons State Park was Park of the Month November 2007. Below is an excerpt from this article:
Imagine a place where marbled redrock canyons slice through a vast landscape dominated by table top-flat plains, where miniature mountains pierce an azure sky, where historic railroad bridges seem to float in space and the descendants of ancient bison herds graze native grasses . . .
After the Visitors Center and the Discovery Center, the park road winds from the escarpment to the canyonlands below. Lake Theo, accessed by the first turn-in to the left along the park road, offers fishing, swimming and non-motorized boating. The next right is Honea Flat Camping Area, where you park your RV. Down the road and to the right is Wild Horse Camping Area, the equestrian camping area.
After a couple of miles, as the road descends into the canyons of the North Prong and South Prong of the Little Red River, you will find Red Tent Camping Area on the left, the trailhead of the Upper and Lower Canyon Trails to the right. The road ends at South Prong Tent Camping Area. There are two primitive camping areas on the canyon trails.
Caprock Canyons State Park includes the Trailway, a 64-mile Rail-to-Trail conversion. Used for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, this multi-use trail begins at South Plains on top of the caprock escarpment and ends at Estelline in the Red River Valley. On the way from escarpment to river valley, the Trailway crosses 46 bridges and includes a trip through Clarity tunnel, home to a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats (April through October).
Notes:
- All visitors must obtain an entrance permit to use parking area and trailway.
- Overnight campers must obtain permits at the park headquarters.
- Day-use fees may be paid at pay stations located at each trailhead.
- Do not tie animals to man-made structures.
- The Mexican free-tailed bats living in Clarity tunnel are very sensitive to traffic, noise, light and human presence. Walk your bike through the tunnel.
