Lower Comanche Trail, TX

PALO DURO CANYON

Palo Duro Canyon is located 25 miles southeast of Amarillo Texas, in the Texas panhandle, and is the second-longest canyon in the US; you can guess the first. The creek that runs through the canyon is part of the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. The canyon formed when the river cut down through the Llano Estacado Plateau as it was uplifted during the Pleistocene Period. This canyon has been called the Grand Canyon of Texas. The rock formations are of the Permian and Triassic periods. The lower Permian section was formed when this was a near-shore shallow marine environment. The upper Triassic layer was formed when this was a stream environment and formed the Sandstone cap rock of the park.


Palo Duro gets its name from the Spanish, meaning “hard stick”. This area was first occupied by Native Americans, the Apaches and then replaced by the Comanche and Kiowa. It was visited by Coronado in 1541, then around the 1870’s ranching. It became a state park in the 1930s. A lot of history was glanced over in those last few sentences; more detail is readily available online.The park’s paved road offers opportunities for sightseeing, camping and hiking. There are over 30 miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails. With a look of a Minnie Sedona (minus the crowd) it is a worthy stop if you are anywhere near the area. Some of the Wildlife in this canyon include Mule Deer, Wild Turkey, Collared Lizard, Barbary Sheep (introduced in 1957) and Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes.

LOWER COMANCHE TRAIL

Overview
The Lower Comanche Trail is a 4.8 mile Trail that has its northern terminus at the end of the Upper Comanche Trail and the Soapberry Spur Trail. The southern terminus is at the Park Road on the very southern end of the park near the equestrian camp area. Access to the trail is also available at the Mesquite camp area where the trail crosses the park road. Together with the Upper Comanche Trail this 8.3 miles trail will take you from the northern end of the park to the southern end along the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River higher up but under the Eastern rim of the canyon. Many side trips and loop hikes can be formed from this trail.

Description
Starting at the southernmost end of the trail near the equestrian camp area just east of the river the trail heads north inside the park road loop. About 0.2 miles in the trail comes to a junction of a trail that is not shown on the park map but signed with a “C” and tenth-mile markers as other trails in the park. I have called this unnamed trail the Creekside trail. The Lower Comanche trail continues along the road but set in a way for another 0.2 miles before crossing the road for the last time at the Mesquite Camp area. Higher up to the east along the rim about 500 feet up is the vista point that is at the end of the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail. The next 1.4 miles the Comanche Trail begins a gradual 300 foot climb up from the river floor to a mesa below the eastern cliff. This section of the trail offers some interesting Rock formations and hoodoos. At 2.4 miles it crosses the Rock Garden Trail. The Rock garden trail heading downhill will end up at the park road, this makes for a good loop hike. Heading up on the Rock Garden Trail will lead up to the canyon Rim and the Rylander Fortress Cliff Trail.

The Lower Comanche Trail continues on 2.4 miles past the Rock Garden Trail junction and continues just below the Rylander Fortress Cliffs before reaching the northern end of the trail and the junction with the Upper Comanche Trail. Views from below the cliffs are interesting in that it shows just how fragile and susceptible to large rock portions breaking away. Probably don’t want to do this trail before hiking the Rylander fortress Cliffside trail or you might think twice before you walk out along these rock cliff ledges. From the Junction at the northern end of the Lower Comanche trail you can continue on the Upper Comanche Trail or take the Soapberry Trail 0.3 miles back down to the park road and the Soapberry day-use area.

2021-05-19 markthurman53