Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
This park is more than 15,000 acres of scenic canyons, prairies, and plains with the added bonus of housing Texas’s state bison herd. More than 25 miles of trails are available for hiking, biking or horseback riding.
Last hiked October 7-9, 2023
Our Notes:
About 290 miles west of the DFW area lies a whole new world – Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway. As we drove toward this little gem, we marveled at the remote Texas plains and wondered how a canyon could be found in this wide-open space that touted true wild Texas vegetation as far as the eye could see. What we were most excited to see though, besides the steep and colorful canyons, were the Texas state bison herd friends told us so much about. We definitely got what we asked for, in both the canyons and the bison categories! Both are worth the drive and impressive in their own rights.
Our campsite was in the Honey Flat Camping Area and was great. Sites there are spread out and pretty private. You can’t really go wrong in any of them. Beware of all of the bison “patties,” as they are everywhere (yes, the bison can roam in this area, but we never encountered them there during our stay)! Another benefit of this area is the Honey Flat Prairie Dog Town. It is fun to watch these little critters come out of their holes and interact with each other. Within walking distance of this camping area is easy access to the Canyon Rim Trail, which has some great views of the canyon at the beginning of the trail. Hiking at this park is varied for skill levels and has several options. There is definitely a lot to see and experience. Be sure to take plenty of water though, as it can be a hot, dry place to hike, and it is easy to get dehydrated even in cooler temperatures.
Day 1 Hike – Eagle Point Trail & Upper South Prong Trail
Trail Type: Eagle Point: Multiuse/Upper South Prong: Hiking only
Distance We Hiked: 6.04 miles total
Amount of Time it Took Us: 2 hrs. 30 mins.
Our Elevation Gain: 500 ft.
Park Rating: moderate to challenging
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: moderate to challenging
Our Notes:
Eagle Point is a great trail. There are lots of elevation changes, excellent views of the plains and canyons, a natural bridge, signs that have a place for you to put your phone to take pictures, and wildlife to see. It is two miles one way. After this trail we were tired but wanted to do a bit more, so we headed to The Upper South Prong Trail. It is 2.6 miles one way, but we only made it in about a mile before turning around and coming back. What we saw was beautiful though. There are great geologic formations to see here as well as excellent canyon views.
Day 2 Hike – Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail & Upper North Prong Trail
Trail Type: Hiking only
Distance 7.27 miles total
Our Elevation Gain: 970 ft.
Amount of Time it Took Us: 3 hrs. 30 min. for both trails
Park Rating: very challenging
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: very challenging
Our Notes:
These two trails, especially the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail, are the most challenging in the park, which is what we were looking for. We left early to hike in the coolness of the morning. Be sure to take plenty of water with you if you choose to do this route – it is difficult and takes quite a bit of exertion.
We took the North Prong Spur (about a mile) to the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail. This trail leads to the highest portion of the park and has the best views of the canyons and the beautiful landscape that encompasses the park. It is well worth the effort you have to put in to the 600-foot ascent. After coming out of this trail you intersect the tail end of the Upper South Prong Trail for .3 of a mile, then can hop onto the Upper North Prong Trail going east. This trail is two miles long one way and has very interesting geography. At the beginning don’t miss the Fern Cave, where you’ll hike down a short way into the canyon and see some natural springs with ferns growing along a canyon overhang. Absolutely stunning! Toward the end of this area is where we (finally) encountered our first of several bison, just hanging out on the trail. These beasts are massive and you don’t want to get too close. We made sure to give wide berth to these guys and had to get off trail a few times to skirt our way around them.
Once we made it to the end of the North Prong, we connected back to the North Prong Spur and made our way back down to the trail head and parking lot. This hike took us a little over three hours and we loved every minute of it!
Day 3 Hike – Canyon Rim Trail
Trail Type: Multiuse
Distance 2.09 miles total
Our Elevation Gain: 44 ft.
Amount of Time it Took Us: 45 mins.
Park Rating: moderate
Mike & Elaine’s Rating: easy
Our Notes:
By day three, after packing up our campsite, we were tired but not quite ready to leave the peace and quiet of the park to head back to the hustle and bustle of city life, so we headed out on one more trail – the Canyon Rim Trail. This is a pretty flat and easy trail, in our opinion. It skirts along the canyon for about the first mile, then heads off into the plains where the topography doesn’t change overly much. We enjoyed the first mile, went a bit further, then turned around and came back. Along the way back we did see more prairie dogs hanging out and watching us closely. Cute little guys!
After this hike we headed to the park store and headquarters, and it was then that we saw the herd! There were bison hanging out everywhere in this area – on the plain, in the road, and in the parking lot! They are obviously used to people, because they could have cared less when a car drove by trying to get around them. We parked and went into the shop, and when we came out had to wait for a while until a particularly large bison standing right next to our truck finally decided to wander away. It was an incredible experience to see these amazing creatures up close and personal, and it was a wonderful way to end our trip as we headed out of the park and back home to “civilization.”
Final Thoughts: We loved this park! The campsites were great, the hiking was awesome, and the park was quiet and beautiful with lots to see. If you really want a true taste of the Texas plains and canyons, you won’t be disappointed in visiting this park. Just stay clear of the bison!
Links to the park and trails below:
https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/caprock-canyons
https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4506_0079s.pdf