The second part of our trip to north Texas involved a visit to Caprock Canyon. This canyon is in the same general area of Texas, but is more remote than Palo Duro Canyon. The remoteness resulted in fewer visitors to this particular state park. We were one of very few cars on the park road. The rangers reminded us to stay at least 50 feet from the bison if we saw them while visiting the park. It didn’t take long for us to heed their advice!

As we rounded the first curve inside the park, we had to stop as a herd of bison were crossing the road heading to a pond on the other side. As soon as we thought they had all crossed, more showed up over the ridge.

This is what a bison traffic jam looks like!

The next few images showcase the beauty of Caprock Canyon.

The next two images show where boulders have tumbled down the side of a canyon wall.

The following images show how erosion can shape unusual features in the rock face. This canyon edge appears to have been sheered over time. It reminded me of The Monastery in Petra, except this feature was created by nature.

The area had rain before we arrived, but like in Palo Duro Canyon, you wouldn’t know it looking at the low spots.

The canyon valley

We saw more wildlife while visiting Caprock Canyon. In addition to the bison, we saw roadrunners. They are big birds!

This one seemed to be posing for the camera!

Prairie Dog Town was a lot of fun! Prairie Dogs have built burrows all along both sides of the park road. Driving very slowly, we saw hundreds of little Prairie Dogs going about their day.

Several of them served as sentinels, alerting the others to our presence with their shrill barks.

A couple of Prairie Dogs stayed facing away and just side-eyed us. It seemed like they were saying, ” If I don’t see you, you can’t see me!”

This little guy seems to be hiding his face!

We left Prairie Dog Town with a view of Prairie Dog butts!

We saw a lone bison as we traversed the park, and did not expect to see him again.

But as we rounded one of the last turns in the park, he appeared to the side of the road. Big Boy! I completely understand why people are urged to keep their distance from these animals. I was nervous just driving by him. We came across a family riding bikes over the next hill and stopped to make sure they were aware of this bison. They had seen him over the ridge and were seriously debating turning around and taking another route. That would have been my decision! What an impressive beast!

As we left Caprock Canyon State Park, we saw a bison herd grazing on the flat land in front of the canyon. It elicited a feeling of nostalgia for a time when these beasts roamed the west, creating dust clouds and pounded-down paths wherever they went. This image could have been hundreds of years ago or yesterday. That is what I love about visiting our state and national parks. They are treasures that allow us to imagine and partially experience what life was like during another time. We must do all we can to preserve these areas so that future generations can enjoy the beauty and majesty of our amazing Earth and the many creatures living on it.

Until next time…