Palo Duro Canyon, located in the Texas panhandle is called “The Grand Canyon of Texas”. The canyon was formed by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River which winds along the relatively flat caprock of the region. Water and wind erosion have carved the canyon to a length of 120 miles and an average width of 6 miles, but reaches a width of 20 miles at places and a maximum depth of 800 feet.
The dramatic geological features found in the canyon include multicolored layers of sandstone rock and steep mesa walls. The painter Georgia O’Keeffe who lived in nearby Amarillo and Canyon, Texas early in the 20th century, wrote of the Palo Duro: "It is a burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color."
The dramatic geological features found in the canyon include multicolored layers of sandstone rock and steep mesa walls. The painter Georgia O’Keeffe who lived in nearby Amarillo and Canyon, Texas early in the 20th century, wrote of the Palo Duro: "It is a burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color."
