Lighthouse Trail • Hike • Texas • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

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Apr 22 2024

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Lighthouse Canyon Upper, TX

Hiking		Apr 22 2024
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	10.70 Miles	721 AEG

Hiking	10.70 Miles	7 Hrs 14 Mns	2.13 mph
	721 ft AEG	2 Hrs 13 Mns Break

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Lighthouse Trail

Givens Spicer Lowry Trail

Little Fox Canyon Trail

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mamakatt22

Having hiking withdrawals' Ginny and I headed up to Palo Duro near Amarillo Texas for two days of hiking. On the first day we did the Lighthouse Trail but instead of heading up to the lighthouse (where we got married 4 years ago) we went upstream (Little Sunday Creek). We did this hike last year and found this to be a very interesting canyon. This canyon ends in a dead end with about a 10 to 15 foot waterfall, about as far up canyon you can go without needing rock climbing equipment or finding a side route up around the falls. Took a break here and spent about an hour just relaxing and enjoying the sun. On the return trip we took a short side trip up a side canyon of Lighthouse canyon. Not much to see in this canyon but did end at an interesting little hill called Petite Teton. Returned the way we came. Wanted to add this little side trip to make this a 10.7 mile hike. Didn't see anyone on the trail except on the lower end of the lighthouse trail. Stayed in a hotel near Amarillo and will come back tomorrow for another hike.

No one on the trail once past the lighthouse in Sunday Creek. Lower trails had a dozen or so hikers and mountain bikers. No water flow in Little Sunday Creek but there were wet spots and a couple places small pools. The falls at the upper end of Sunday Creek had dripping water. Temps in the upper 70's with a 10 to 20 MPH breeze as is always the case on the Texas panhandle. In fact in Lubbock you can have a dust storm after a rain, go figure.

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Dec 07 2023

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Lighthouse Plus, TX

Hiking		Dec 07 2023
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	10.59 Miles	963 AEG

Hiking	10.59 Miles	5 Hrs 59 Mns		1.91 mph
	963 ft AEG	27 Mns Break	20 LBS Pack

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Lighthouse Trail

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mamakatt22

On day 3 we headed back to Palo Duro Canyon which was open today. Ginny and I had hiked the lighthouse trail a couple of time before, in fact we got married there 3 and a half years ago. We decided to revisit the scene of the crime but add a little extra to the hike this time. On this hike we will hike further up Little Sunday Creek as far as it is feasible. The hike to the lighthouse is about 3.5 miles along a really easy trail, the last .5 miles being a steep climb to the lighthouse. Great views from the lighthouse but on this trip it was quite windy, luckily it wasn’t too cold (temps around 60). Saw a couple of people on the trail but overall it was pretty light.

From the lighthouse we continued on up Little Sunday Creek. Surprisingly fairly easy to walk along the creek as the sand was packed. Lots of animal track along the creek, Deer, wild boar, Barbary sheep, Fox, Bob Cat and the ever present coyote. Further up canyon there was water pooling and in places a light flow, explains why all the animal tracks. Continued on up until there was no going any further because of a 30 foot water fall. These sudden drops in the canyons is quite common in this park and makes hiking from the rim to the canyon bottom iffy. Much like Grand Canyon but on a much smaller scale, but a 20 foot drop is just as impassable as a 100 foot drop, the only difference is the 100 foot one will kill you, the 20 foot one just leaves you wishing you were dead. From Google Earth these drops don’t show up and topo maps really don’t show them. I thought this canyon was extremely interesting, the rocks and formations along the creek kept my interest peeked. On our return trip we saw about a dozen big horn sheep or so I thought but later found out they were Barbary Sheep. Neat canyon and if you are in the lighthouse area I highly recommend this 2 mile round trip excursion.

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Nov 12 2020

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Sunday Creek Loop, TX

Hiking		Nov 12 2020
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	11.02 Miles	857 AEG

Hiking	11.02 Miles	5 Hrs 35 Mns	2.22 mph
	857 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

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Lighthouse Trail

Givens Spicer Lowry Trail

Little Fox Canyon Trail

Paseo Del Rio Trail

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mamakatt22

Spent two days up near Amarillo Texas at Palo Duro State park. The first days hike was a loop hike around Sunday Canyon along the Givens, Spencer, Lowry Trail (GSL), The Little fox canyon Trail, Lighthouse Trail and the Paseo Del Rio Trail. We ended the day doing a small loop on the Comanche Trail and Soapberry Trail. This combination of trails takes you on a grand loop of Sunday Canyon ending with a short 1 mile section along the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red River.

We started the hike from the Hackberry Camping area and took the Givens Spencer Lowry Trail which follows along the north side of Sunday canyon. This well groomed 2.6 mile trail has minor elevation changes as it passes along small washes or creeks. The scenery will keep you occupied through out this trail with hard pack clay cliffs and hoodoos. The Little Fox Canyon Trail was a side trip off of the GSL Trail and is a little different from the GSL in that as it follows up Sunday Creek The vegetation becomes thicker with more grass land. Very easy walking along this trail. At 1.3 miles in you return to the GSL the way you came. Once back on the GSL we continued on to the Lighthouse Trail and followed that to the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red river. This section of the lighthouse trail follows an old two track but the scenery along the way makes the walk a pleasant one. Once at the river we took the Paseo Del Rio Trail back to the start point. Depending on the time of year this can be a very pleasant lush green walk along the river. Being this was fall approaching winter everything was rather dry but the river was running (more like a creek). We arrived back at the car with about an hour of sunlight left so we decided to do a short loop on the Upper Comanche Trail. This trail follows the river on the East side about 100 feet up. Very scenic walk with lots of hoodoos and rocks that have fallen from the cliffs above. I did see my second porcupine ever along this trail which was an unexpected surprise.

Very enjoyable day hiking, though we did get a late start. The park was not overly crowded but there were what I consider a lot of people by my standards (anything more than a half dozen is a lot). Very cold mornings in the low 30's but warmed up to 60 by the afternoon. The only water on this trip was in the Prairie Dog Fork of the Red River

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Porcupine

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May 20 2020

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Lighthouse Trail, TX

Hiking		May 20 2020
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	6.69 Miles	599 AEG

Hiking	6.69 Miles
	599 ft AEG

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I am back in Texas at Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Opted to do the lighthouse trail again with a little change to my normal hiking. I was with a group of 6 people 3 of which had not done much of any hiking before. The other thing that was out of the normal hike for me was that I was getting Married at the lighthouse. It was not my idea to get married while on a hike but I jumped at the idea when it was suggested. On this hike with me was Virginia (bride), my sister and the minister with her husband and daughter. We wore AZ Hiking Shack matching Tee shirts. This was proof that weddings can be inexpensive and not stressful.

The Lighthouse trail is an easy 3 mile one way hike along a scenic easy to follow trail. The last quarter mile has a 200 to 300 foot steep climb but quite doable by any experience level. The weather for this hike was overcast so it made the hike much more pleasant although the pictures didn't show the colors of the canyon as well. After the wedding ceremony on the return trip the highlight of the hike back was watching a dung beetle rolling it's catch up an incline only to have it roll down and it would chase it and start all over. Did this multiple times. I would of helped it but it was dung after all.

The park was open by reservation only but suppose to be back to normal soon. Check the Palo Duro Canyon website for the latest info.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Catclaw mimosa Firewheel

Wildflowers Observation Light

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May 20 2020

mamakatt22

Routes 305
Photos 39
Triplogs 300

female

Joined Feb 02 2020
Shallowater,TX

Lighthouse Trail, TX

Hiking		May 20 2020
		mamakatt22 • Triplogs 300

Hiking	6.69 Miles	599 AEG

Hiking	6.69 Miles	4 Hrs 27 Mns	2.35 mph
	599 ft AEG	1 Hour 36 Mns Break

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Lighthouse Trail

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markthurman53

This is my second time to hike to the Lighthouse at Palo Duro Canyon with Mark. I was especially looking forward to this hike because after Mark proposed and we discussed where…this was perfect. It was my idea to hike somewhere beautiful to marry since we both love hiking and each other. Mark’s Sister is an experienced hiker but my cousins aren’t. The only issue for my cousins is the last part because the youngest in our group of six is afraid of heights (There is no rock climbing or exposure along this trail). Climbing up to the plateau seemed mush easier this time since I knew what to expect. The weather was overcast and cool. God provided the flowers all along the trail. There were a lot of people on the plateau and several delayed leaving to stay for our ceremony. It was a sweet, sincere, simple service that we will always cherish.
The Lighthouse trail is an easy 3 mile one way hike in Palo Duro Canyon outside of Canyon, TX which is south of Amarillo. In the summer they have a wonderful play in an amphitheater called TEXAS. It is delightful. Many people like to camp at Palo Duro Canyon to hike, horseback ride, relax, and enjoy nature. There are usually rattlers when it is warm. It can get very hot in the area so it’s a must to prepare and carry enough water. The town of Canyon has a wonderful Museum on the West Texas Campus. Amarillo has things to see and do also. To really see part of Texas beauty, one must get off I-40 or I-27.
At this time entrance into the park is by on line reservation. Not sure how much longer this will go on. Check their website

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Firewheel

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Firewheel, Black Eyed Susan, Mexican Hats, Sun Drops, Basket Flowers, and Silver Leaf Night Shade.

Oct 10 2018

markthurman53

Guides 187
Routes 990
Photos 12,079
Triplogs 865

72 male

Joined Jun 27 2015
Tucson, Arizona

Lighthouse Trail Palo Duro Canyon, TX

Hiking		Oct 10 2018
		markthurman53 • Triplogs 865

Hiking	6.58 Miles	699 AEG

Hiking	6.58 Miles	3 Hrs 22 Mns		2.48 mph
	699 ft AEG	43 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

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I was told about a section in Texas that was not flat. Just south of Amarillo is Palo Duro Canyon, the head waters of the Red river in a branch called the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. It had been raining for the last couple of days so the creek had been running high but has since receded to manageable levels. The only issue was that some parts of the trail were muddy and very slick. The Lighthouse Trail is a moderate 6.6 mile round trip hike with the only real steep uphill climbing is as you approach the lighthouse (300 feet). Great views all along this trail of rock formations shaped by water erosion. If you only do one hike in this canyon I recommend this one.

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Oct 12 2016

Stoic

Routes 297
Photos 6,928
Triplogs 552

49 male

Joined Dec 30 2007
Avondale,Az

Lighthouse Trail

Panhandle, TX

Lighthouse Trail

Panhandle, TX

Hiking		Oct 12 2016
		Stoic • Triplogs 552

Hiking	5.49 Miles	365 AEG

Hiking	5.49 Miles	1 Hour 50 Mns	2.99 mph
	365 ft AEG

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Great day for a stroll. Looks like the they closed the last portion of this trail. I could be wrong, I haven't researched it yet.

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Jun 26 2016

jochal

Guides 2
Routes 25
Photos 1,890
Triplogs 604

41 male

Joined Sep 13 2009
Mesa, AZ

Lighthouse Trail

Panhandle, TX

Lighthouse Trail

Panhandle, TX

Hiking		Jun 26 2016
		jochal • Triplogs 604

Hiking	6.00 Miles	430 AEG

Hiking	6.00 Miles
	430 ft AEG

no routes

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no linked trail guides

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The Lighthouse Trail is the signature hike in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. 3 miles each way, it dead ends at the The Lighthouse rock formation, which is somewhat distinctive and pretty heavily photographed.

I showed up at the park around noon, with the intention of doing the Lighthouse, the CCC trail, camp overnight, and then the Rock Garden Trail in the morning, before getting back on the I-40.

Started out on the trail from a full parking lot. The trail wasn't hard to follow; it wraps around the North of Capital Peak and is well signed. Capital Peak is very pretty. Storm clouds started getting worse; I knew there was a system moving in from the South, but I expected that we would be enough on the fringe of the system to not worry. Nope. Lots of lightning and thunder and I got pretty thoroughly drenched. I kept going. It wasn't cold, so the rain was fine, it just made the hike harder and harder because of the mud. I hit what I think is the end of the established trail, where a picnic table is located. There were 2 directions to go from here, one toward the Lighthouse, and one that kept going West, past the Lighthouse. I tried both, but neither let me go very far uphill with the mud. With all of the lightning around, and no expectation of the mud to get any better anytime soon, I turned around. Back at the trailhead, there were still a handful of people cleaning up the mud to get back in their cars. The storm was finally tapering off.

I threw my shoes into a plastic back and drove the car back to the visitors center area, which is at the top of the canyon, to watch the remnants of the storm leave. Saw a nice rock slide in one of the canyon branches, and some of the people who were there had witnessed more rock slides earlier. I went back down into the canyon to try some of the easier trails to kill time (Pioneer Nature Trail for example), but started seeing purple signs everywhere--Trail System Closed. All trails were marked with these signs.

WIth no expectation the purple signs were going away anytime soon, I quit the canyon and headed back to Amarillo.

Pretty nice hike; very scenic on the trail and also the drive into the canyon. The trail is easy. Ironically, I never did actually take a picture of the lighthouse itself.

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WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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