Palo Duro Canyon State Park

The 16,402-acre Palo Duro Canyon State Park, located on the eastern edge of the Texas High Plains (Llano Estacado), was carved by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. The park boasts a visitor center with excellent exhibits and book sales, a variety of trails (4.6-mile hiking and horseback, 3-level mountain-bike trail, and 9-mile running trail), the historic Goodnight Trading Post, and the Pioneer Amphitheater for summer performances of historical musical drama. Key birds: Golden Eagle, Wild Turkey, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Western Scrub-Jay, Bushtit, Rock and Canyon Wrens, Curve-billed Thrasher, Canyon Towhee, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow are present year-round. Mississippi Kite, Red-headed Woodpecker, Say’s Phoebe, Scissortailed Flycatcher, and Painted Bunting occur in summer. Bald Eagle, Prairie Falcon, Mountain Bluebird, Townsend’s Solitaire, Northern Shrike, and American Tree and Fox Sparrows can usually be found in winter. This eTrail provides detailed information on birding strategies for this specific location, the specialty birds and other key birds you might see, directions to each birding spot, a detailed map, and helpful general information.