Palo Duro Canyon: Rock Garden Trail

From Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Original Image

October 29, 2017

1:17 p.m. - I grab my pack and load my dog, Koda, into the car and we get on the road with the intention of day hiking a trail at Wildcat Bluff, just a few miles from our house. I stopped at the nearest convenience store to load up on water for the two of us and 20 minutes later we landed at the Wildcat Bluff Welcome Center. As I was walking up to pay my entrance fee I noticed the sign: the outline of a dog with a big, red slash through it. Damn it... I'd already packed for a day trip and if I turned around now I'd be enduring Koda's flawlessly crafted pity stare for the rest of the day. So, we drove another 35 miles to my favorite hiking destination in the area to attempt a new trail.

2:30 p.m. - As I cranked up the Goldfinger (Check out their song "Ocean Size" that I used in the video. It's a jam.), we wound our way down into the park. The new plan: to hike the 2.4 mile Rock Garden Trail, and maybe a short section of the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail bringing us to a total of about 5 miles for the day. I parked across the road from the trailhead, packed the water, and unloaded my camera, while at the same time I try to keep Koda from bolting out of the car before getting her leash on. I strap on my bag and pour her a bowl of water that she'll only drink half of because she so anxious to start the hike.

The park rates the trail as difficult and lists a 600 foot elevation change from the trailhead to top of the eastern wall of the canyon, where we are headed. The weather was perfect, 70 degrees with just enough of a breeze to keep us cool as we walked. We found a flat rock on the side of a hill about a third of a mile in where I decided to stop because it seemed like Koda regretted not getting a bit more water to drink before we started. I didn't mind, it would give me a chance to enjoy the view and do a little sketching in the notebook I like to take along when I hike alone. We relaxed in that spot for about 10 minutes before Koda assured me she was mentally and physically prepared for our journey up the canyon.

The next half mile of the trail involved quite a bit of up and down; a significant portion of the elevation change for the entire trail. We saw beautiful rock formations with scenic outlooks very regularly in this section. There were areas with thick vegetation next to miniature plains of grass sprinkled with cacti. If scenic views and photography are your motivation, the first mile of this trail is a goldmine.

Rock Garden Trail Formation, Palo Duro Canyon

After passing through the most dense section of the rock garden we turned east to hike along a ridge about 400 feet above where we began. It was a narrow path and we must have met, head on, with every person on the trail during this section of the hike. We constantly had to bail to one side so they could squeeze by while I kept Koda from greeting every passer-by with a lick. We stopped again at one of the many outlooks to enjoy the view and rehydrate. As the trail widened out and we passed beneath our intended destination: the Scrub Oak Spur scenic outlook. The next 3 tenths of a mile were relatively uneventful. A small price to pay for what was ahead of us in the final leg of our ascent.

The last mile was hands down my favorite section of the trail. The dramatic shift in scenery was refreshing and gave us a renewed energy to reach the top. We saw, in an instant, the terrain change from sparse vegetation and flat planes of rocks and dirt to what could be considered a forrest in West Texas. It was almost like walking through a doorway. We were tossed into the shade of a valley as the trail wrapped around the east side of the ridge where we would eventually end our hike to the top. After coming out of the trees we were still able to walk mostly in the cool of the shade along another ridge which would bring us right up next to a massive boulder in the side of the cliff before connecting with the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail.

4:35 p.m. - After we walked along the edge of the canyon for 3 tenths of a mile, we found a nice outlook that I assumed was the one on Scrub Oak Spur. It wasn't until we'd gotten comfortable and had a drink that I realized we hadn't gone far enough. So, we decided to stay there and enjoy the view. The hike down boasted awesome colors, as the sun was starting to sink down the other side of the canyon. The warm colors popped against the blue of the sky as we made our way back down to the bottom. I will definitely be back on this trail.

Ridge to the South of the Rock Garden Trail

Total Hike Distance: 5.2 miles

Elevation Change: 600 feet

Difficulty: Difficult

Total Time: 3.5 hours

Nomad Score: 9/10
Post Hike Beverage: 24 oz. Modelo Chelada

For a daily dose of my adventures on and off the trail follow me on Instagram. I leave you with our selfie from the summit.

Koda and I taking a break after reaching the top of the Eastern Wall of Palo Duro Canyon