I don't really know how to write a review about a Texas State Park, but last month, my girlfriend and I drove up through West Texas past Quitaque to visit Caprock Canyon. We hiked through the entire North Prong Trail which totaled about 7 miles and it was truly gorgeous. There were some difficult moments at points, but nothing I couldn't do. The weather was nice, there was plenty of parking to head into the trails, and I had a great time. The Canyons are absolutely stunning and mesmerizing know this is hidden away in Texas. Worth the adventure! RIYL: Hiking for the love of the game read more

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Bison and more bison! Everything went amazing! Do your best to go prepared, it's a busy park. The gift shop has the best trinkets and clean best bathrooms. I rec the north prong spur to the north prong camping area trail in AllTrails. Great parking and a great place to grab a snack.love love love the short and long trails here! read more

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We had a great afternoon exploring the Caprock Canyon State Park. The trails are amazing, make sure you bring enough water. The skies are amazing day and night. read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - This is the park canyon from west of the amphitheater (compass west to northwest) - Parks Near Me

This state park is worth visiting. Hiking Trails: 11 total trails that are moderate & challenging. Wild life: Bison freely roaming around & lots of other animals. Beware of the wild hogs Entry fee: Pretty cheap, only $5 Camping: Multiple camping sites on ground. I personally didn't camp but saw them all Scenic Drive: Be sure to do the scenic drive I went to this park by myself & felt safe. Just use common sense. read more

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Great place to spend the day with friends and family or camping. Very relaxing place with friendly staff and amazing views. read more

This state park is beautiful! It is hard to believe that it is hidden amongst the Texas grass plains and fields that surround the area. The transition from fields to canyon and that red rock that encompasses the park area, is amazing! Chances are that you will quickly run into one of the large herds of buffalo / bison that rome throughout the state park freely. Please do not be like those Yellowstone Park visitors that have gotten too close to these majestic beasts. Respect their space. There are a variety of camping spots throughout the park. Some are even horse friendly. They vary from dispersed camping, to sites with basic amenities, to the main camping area where that accommodates RVs and has electrical and nearby full facility bathrooms with showers. Texas State Park discounts available for veterans and disabled persons. Plenty of trails around. If you bring your dogs, please keep them on a leash and as far away from the Bison. Especially if they bark a lot. Basically, if you are in the area passing by, or needing a place to camp overnight, this should be a stop on your travels. It was an unexpected overnight camping spot my first time and I have now been here 3 times in 3yrs. You will love it, but hike early because it gets hot as heck. Especially in the summer! read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - Parks Near Me

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A true gem of a state park and one of the best kept secrets in the great state of Texas!! We broke-out of COVID shelter in place status by "traveling-local" and making the 5 hour drive from the DFW metroplex. During the parks phased reopening status it is necessary to pre-purchase day passes on-line to enter the park. Vistitor centers and retail in the park were still closed. No matter - Caprock Canyons packs a big nature, outdoors and wildlife punch. In our 3 days visiting the park we conservatively saw close to 100 bison, dozens of prairie dogs, crazy aggressive cliff-swallows, dozens of roadrunners, a baby owl and a few snakes. Our canyon hike was fantastic and rivals several we have accomplished in our National Park Service. In the June heat we hit the Upper-South Prong trail headed into the valley, steep switch-backs up the cliffside and up to the Fern Cave and Fern slots - an incredible hike with river-washes, rock-hodoos, big vistas and nice cool payoff at the fern caves. At one point during our hike and coming around a bend - only to look eye to eye at 10 yards with a pair of bison grazing near the river-bed. After a tense few seconds, a couple of disinterested grunts from the 1500 pound beasts - combined with our wide-angle berth - we had a cool story to tell about the adventure. Sunsets in the wide-open spaces and over the canyons are massive and awesome here. Lastly, dont miss the crazy and agressive cliff-swallows at dusk near the Caprock amphitheater. These guys are hella-active, almost like bats and have completely taken over this buidling with giant mud-nests as they remind you and your visitors that you are in their space... Great visit to CCSP - don't miss it! read more

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We did a day visit to Caprock canyon it is way good drive out in the middle of the panhandle. Not much around just small towns. Stop at the entrance to pay to get in and get a map of the park. You pretty much drive into the park one road in go to the end turn around and come out. You drive slow look at the sites. You can get out as well and walk. The most fun was the bison came around a corner when we in the car. The whole herd was walking up the road. We had to pull over and wait as they slowly walked by. That was very cool you get a close up when they go by the car. The history of the bison is interesting read up on the bison herd. There was also this area that has camping that has a bunch of prairie dogs. They are fun to watch and cute even though they are a rodent. The bison were in that location when we came back up from the bottom of the park. It was worth the drive to see if you ever go to the panhandle. read more

We enjoyed this park so much that we made a second visit just to have our dinner here and look for prairie dogs and bison following an overnight stay at the nearby - also wonderful - Palo Duro State Park! This meant a late Sunday night return to home but we couldn't resist having enjoyed it SO MUCH on our previous visit. OFFICIAL TEXAS STATE BISON HERD The State of Texas Bison herd has a unique history and is free-ranging at this park thanks to the efforts of Mary Ann and Charles Goodnight. In 1878, the couple captured orphaned calves, raised them on JA Ranch, and successfully grew the herd to increase the bison population following the "great slaughter" of once-plentiful bison by hide hunters from 1874-1878. It is the descendants of the Goodnight Herd which comprise the herd located at this park today! According to the park website, a rare genetic marker indicates the Goodnight Herd was possibly the last remaining group of southern plains bison. Knowing this history makes me appreciate the presence of the bison even more. I feel so grateful that the Goodnights had the resources and initiative to protect this icon of the American West. I'm also grateful to JA Ranch for donating the 50-ish remaining herd to Texas Parks and Wildlife which eventually relocated them to this state park in 1997! During our two recent visits - including overnight tent-camping - we observed that the bison are most active at sunrise and just before and after sunset and you might be lucky to spot some down by the lake mid-day/late afternoon. If for some sad reason you don't see them, you will certainly see evidence of their presence via their bison patties all over the park. BLACK-TAILED PRAIRE DOGS There is a prairie dog town by the restrooms/electric campground. Those prairie dogs provide endless entertainment if you are quiet enough not to scare them back into their holes! We even captured some decent photos from our car. We found that they were most active about an hour or two before dark. THE HIKING AND VIEWS We were warned by a park ranger that the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail and Upper North Prong Trail 6-ish mile loop we took would be the hardest hike of our lives - this was a misjudgment though some portions of the trail were difficult. I sincerely appreciated the heads up and advise to take a gallon of water per person and hike the steepest portion of the trail first. The park ranger also marked the map where the steepest portions of the trail would be. Yes, that steep initial climb had me breathing HARD but SO WORTH it!! We were rewarded at every pause and turn! This park is gorgeous in all directions. I can not recommend a visit to this park more! For the wildlife, the landscape, the hiking trails, the camping and the views! read more

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Wonderful views. Bison everywhere. Weather was perfect. Ladies at the center were kind. We had a grand hike and a grand time. read more

On Wednesday, November 6th, 2024 at around 3:15 pm I was driving northbound on the main road of Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, in between the Honey Flat Camping area and the Wild Horse Camping Area. In my rearview mirror, I saw a park police vehicle quickly approach me. The vehicle turned its lights on, and I pulled over. The officer approached my vehicle, and asked for my license and insurance. I complied. The officer later identified himself as Officer Enloe (badge #4985) of the Texas State Park Police. Officer Enloe informed me that I had been pulled over for not displaying a park pass. I had printed a park pass at home, and had it on my front passenger seat so that I could place it on my dashboard once I parked at my intended trailhead (North Prong Spur). Enloe was cordial at first, he simply instructed me to tape it to my windshield next time. I apologized and told him I would do so next time. Enloe's demeanor then changed, he then began to inquire as to whether I had any drugs in the car. Peculiarly, he asked me multiple times if I "had anything legal in the car". The emphasis here is on the "legal", he did not ask me if I had anything "illegal", he asked if I had anything "legal" in the car. He seemed to be attempting to trick me into saying Yes so that he could search my vehicle. Since I do not do drugs nor even consume alcohol, I answered that I did not have anything illegal in the car. Enloe then accused me of being nervous, and stated that my leg was shaking(it was not). He seemed to be attempting to bait me until I did or said something that would give him grounds to search my car. He began listing off various drugs, and asked me how much of those drugs I have in my vehicle. I continued to state that I do not do drugs or alcohol. Enloe insisted that I roll down my back window so that he could look in my back seat, and I regrettably complied without thinking. At some point, Enloe seemed flustered with the fact that I could not be tricked into confessing to the possession of drugs that did not exist, and he relented. He briefly went back to his vehicle with my license and presumably ran it through his computer. When he returned, I demanded his name and badge number, which he provided. Reviews on Caprock Canyons State Park reveal that others have experienced similar situations. They in particular tend to target young adults. The Park Police at this park seem to have a flagrant disregard for the law, anyone with a baseline education on our Constitution would know that the actions of the Park Police are not acceptable. Additionally, I posted the above write-up in a Facebook group relating to Texas State Parks with over 300,000 members, as well as on Reddit. Others have commented that they have had similar experiences at this state park. read more

It's an amazing park! So many trails to walk! A beautiful area. The bison are everywhere! You will also see adorable prairie dogs! In the evening they have tours, where you hike to a trail where the bats make their presence known! read more

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Caprock Canyons State Park is one of my favorite state parks so far! It is a huge state park with bison roaming around. I was close to them in my car and then as I'm ending my hike, they walked right on by on the trail. I hit up the Haynes Ridge and Upper North Prong trails and they were pretty intense. Make sure you have your water. I recommend going earlier in the day if you can. There are some steep sections at the beginning of Haynes but then it smooths out. The Canyon Rim Sour trail is a short one by the campsites where black-tailed prairie dogs live. They make some high-pitched sounds to alert the others of danger (me) approaching. Great, well-maintained state park. read more

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Always have a great time at CCSP. Lots of trails to hike, bike ride or bring your own horse. Would definitely recommend the hike to Fern Cave and Clarity Tunnel. This is a remote area will limited cell service...so beware and bring a locator. The Bison and prairie dogs roam free and are awesome to watch. Check out JB's BBQ inside the park on ur weekends. read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - Parks Near Me

Don't got crap for service on my cell phone out here... but I have to say this place is a must do for anyone in the area and beyond. Finally, some real hiking in Texas! Great trails, activities and just plain fun for the entire family... read more

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Great experience here. Camping grounds were peaceful & everyone was respectful around us + felt safe as the park rangers checked on everyone at night and made sure we didn't need anything & some mornings. The views and trails were amazing. My dog, boyfriend & i will be back! read more

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We are going to all the State Parks in Texas. This is my favorite. I enjoyed it a bit more than Palo Duro. The official bison herd of Texas lives here. The hikes are wonderful. We went in February. The weather was wonderful. I can't wait to come back. Camping is the way to go as it is very remote and you will spend a lot of time driving. The ranger at the front desk is direct and not too friendly but everyone else we met was nice. I can't wait to return. read more

Just another breathtaking Texas State Park. I've been to many of the top-rated sites and this one was truly unique out of them all. It reminded me of some of the National parks out west. Definitely looked like Arizona's red rocks, but with a whole lot less visitors. You can get close to bison (just don't get "too" close to them) for some great pictures. There are dozens wandering around at all times. Easily snagged prairie dog pics. The rocks are just stunning. Many available campsites. If you have tents there are a bunch deep in. This is a very dark park at night so come looking for some magnificent skies! read more

Highly satisfied with my visit! The North Prong Primitive Camping area was spectacular. Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail offers a challenging hike up with good views at the top. Coming down Upper North Prong Trail is an easy decent as well after a tough climb up Haynes. Some amazing views of Bison as well. Woke up from our Primitive Camping area at North Prong to walk to the trail back to the car and there were Bison on the trail. Easy to get around though and weren't bothersome as long as you don't bother them. read more

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What a beautiful park! I planned our trip to the Panhandle solely for Palo Duro Canyon, but finding out there was another great state park in the area was a bonus. We only had a few hours available to check this place out but that turned out to work well for us. Just a slow drive through the park is a highlight in itself - beautiful red rock canyons on slight roller coaster roads, including one that put just the right amount of fear in me when my little hybrid 4-cylinder started climbing. We had been driving from Atlanta for days but when we got here we knew we had finally arrived in The West. We asked at the VC for a good hour's hike and was directed to a loop trail that looked well more than an hour. But we tried it out anyway and turned back when we had gone as far as we intended to go. One comment - the people who talk about confusion with trail markers are not wrong - I was not sure I was on my intended path either. But if you don't care about trails per se and just want some nice scenery you can get it. We only saw one bison while we were here - and even then he was escaping from view - so don't necessarily count it as a given that you'll run across them. We were happy with what we saw though - and we certainly saw our share of prairie dogs. We even spied a few roadrunners near the park entrance. Meep meep! Bottom line, you don't have to put much in lot this park to get something great out of it. read more

Ready to see some bison? Not just any bison, but direct descendants from the last remaining of the original Texas Bison Herd? When we went to visit, we didn't even have to pay for admission to see the bison. They have a watering hole right where the park office is, and being during the summer, many of the bison were there. When we drove up, bison were walking along the parking lot, and even laying down under the trees just feet away from the park office's entrance. Highly recommend coming here if you enjoy seeing such things. I can't speak for the hiking or camping here, but the bison were pretty awesome to see. read more

Great park for a quick getaway from Lubbock or Amarillo. I think we actually saw more Buffalo here than we did at Yellowstone.

Beautiful state park. Headed bathrooms and nice showers. The outside campsites have trails that lead to the canyon behind. The inside campgrounds back up to the kids park and bathrooms. Dumpsters at bathrooms. Very quiet. I think it's a dark skies area and is perfect for star gazing. Beautiful trails. Beautiful views. read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - Bison roam free - Parks Near Me

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This is a great park in the middle of nowhere, a real hidden gem. I stayed at a site that included electricity and water. It was clean when I arrived, and included two flat tent sites, a covered picnic table, lantern pole, and fire ring. Side to side spacing is adequate. You will have another camper 75 feet or so across the road, although your vehicle can be positioned to block most of the view. Important: suspend your trash bag to the lantern pole and securely latch food bins. The raccoons out there are as big as German shepherds and will visit at night. The lake is a little over 100 acres and ok for kayaking if you bring your own. You could swim in it, at your own risk. Fishing is allowed, but there is absolutely no bass action in it, just carp rolling on the surface while I was there. Hiking is great, beautiful views, you could spend a 12 hour day on the marked trails, and unlimited time if you wanted to set off on your own, although I would not advise it. Very easy to get lost. There is one 6 mile mountain bike loop that takes you by some scenic views if you pay attention. Last word: Bison. They're every where. They block the road; they block the MB trail. Do not approach them. They are very beautiful, but wild and unfriendly. I pulled a little closer to a herd to try to encourage them to leave the roadway, and the largest one (over 2,000 lbs) ran through the herd to square off against my F150. He was serious - freaky. read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - See if you can find my friend Wayne in this photo. - Parks Near Me

We've been to many state parks. This is, by far, our favorite. Camping spots are clean and spacious. Very quiet and clean. Except for the bison patties. Which totally add to the experience. The bison grazed for breakfast right by our space two of the three mornings we were there. Just leave them alone and let them do their thing. They are amazing to watch. The prairie dogs? Priceless. Mesmerizing to see how they run their little communities. This is Mother Nature at her finest. The canyon views are like no other and trying to describe them is a waste of time. Go. Just go and be in awe. We will be back again. And again. And again. read more

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I've gone to Caprock Canyon State parks at least 30 times. I spent a weekend there this late October, and the heat was higher than normal. The park was quite full. The last weekend in October was the first time I could get a reservation for four weeks. I'm not going to come out here again for some time. I'm tired of the very long, non-loop hiking trails, and the fact that you can't get vehicles like mine (23 feet long) past the Honea Flat campgrounds. And the flies.....clouds of them. Because the bison are everywhere in the park, including the Honea Flat area, there are piles of feces everywhere, and the flies are on them, breeding in them, you get the picture! I had dozens of flies in my rig. I had two flies go right into my food when I ate outside, and had flies actually flying up between my glasses and my eyeballs. Even when I went to public shower house to shower, I was swatting flies away from my face. And the STICKERS. The Canyon Rim trail was literally carpeted with them. It was agony for my poor dog, and we had to stop every five feet to get the things out of his paws. See the photograph for my hiking boots after we got back. I even found stickers on my shirt. The park is a beautiful place, but pitiless and harsh. Hot and dry, colorful and windy. The campground hosts are like ghosts. In 16 years of coming here I have never had a campground host ever say hello, or ever be around. I won't be coming here again for a long, long time. Adios. read more

Nice state park to stop by and see some Buffalo up close and personal. Also full of trails and beautiful mountain/hills/rock formations. There is a lake Theo that offers fishing within the state park which you don't need any permits to fish. There's a fern cave and some nice scenic overlooks you can hike to. Camping spots for both tent or RV campers or you can just pay $10 for the day entry. Very cool state park. read more

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There are some great things about this park: it's clean, the views are stunning, and it is home to the Official Bison Heard of Texas. The rich ruby and plum colors saturate the vistas, making for gorgeous photos. There are aspects I liked less. Most bothersome to me was the way some of the trails were carved out, specifically the equestrian trail. It looks like someone carelessly ran a bulldozer through with little regard for the nature that lay in the wake. In one particular spot, a small tree was clearly uprooted -- its roots cut through, exposed and abandoned. Additionally, the trails are not clearly marked. A less experienced hiker might encounter difficulty navigating the interlocking trails. Trail difficulty: 8 of 10 -- we found one of the most challenging trail descents we've encountered. It was absolutely, totally worth the hike! Overall park atmosphere: 6 of 10 because of the rough trail cuts and poor markers and also because the campsites are stacked on top of one another. On the upside, the sites are beside the lake, which makes for beautiful photographs. read more

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Night sky was incredible, bison and prairie dogs were cool. Very nice park. I would definitely recommend going out here if you can make the drive. read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - Night sky - Parks Near Me

This place is so beautiful and awesome we went there 3 weekends in a row. There are so many cool trails with lots to see. Lake Theo is pretty and I've gone fishing there a few times. There are a lot of picnic areas and clean facilities. Definitely worth the drive. I can't wait to go back. I shared a lot of photos here on yelp. Enjoy and take a road trip and check it out for yourself. You wont be disappointed :) read more

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We camped at Caprock Canyons for 4 nights in our RV at Honea Flat campgrounds site 18. A hidden gem! The canyons are not as dramatic as Palo Duro but they are still spectacular in their own right. We really enjoyed the bison at this park as well.. They were literally in the campgrounds grazing. So cool! There was also a field of prairie dogs right next to our campground. We really liked the trails as well. My favorite was the Upper Canyon trail due to the views and the cave. Least favorite-probably Lower Canyon trail.. The only trail we didn't do was the Old Ranch Rd and that's because it looked like you have to leave the park to get to that trail? It's odd. The trails are long, but they connect so you can make a loop out of them and not have to walk back the way you came. When we were biking the Canyon Rim Trail, one of my tires went flat. I waited on the side of the road while my husband road his bike back to the campgrounds to get the car. A park ranger saw me, pulled over, and asked me what was wrong and if he could help. He even asked if I had enough water before driving away. How thoughtful! I really like the kindness and professionalism of the park rangers here. There is a small lake. We brought our kayak, but didn't use it because it was too windy. Technically you can swim in it, but we didn't. I don't think there was a single thing I didn't like about this park. It was awesome! read more

What an adventure! My boyfriend and I drove up from Fort Worth, TX to celebrate our anniversary in mid November. The Park Volunteers and Rangers were extremely kind and went out of their way to give us pro tips for our stay. This area is known for rattlesnakes, but we didn't see one the entire trip. We stayed in Little Red- extremely clean, gorgeous views and NO BUGS! We brought my dog and she immediately got into a cactus. I'm glad we were prepared for first aid needs. I would encourage the dog mommies and daddies our there to bring extra blankets and padding for the cold nights. The first night we stayed got down to 27 degrees! In short, be prepared for high wind and cold nights. This is a Dark Park- so be sure to peek outside the tent during the evening. Incredible views. The first morning we were welcomed by Bison grazing nearby our site. I purchased a State Parks Pass last April and this is hands down our favorite place we have visited. Will definitely return! FYI: The best place to get wood nearby would be the Valley Farm Store on Main. Be sure to grab some BBQ from Dad's- their breakfast burritos are ginormous! read more

What a BEAUTIFUL place!!! My grandparents and I drove the scenic route and enjoyed ALL the sights it has to offer. Please be very careful with the prairie dogs! There are tons of them!! However, they are limited to a small stretch of road.. but they are so cute to watch! We even had a chance to see the bison herd in the lake. The ranger working the information center was fantastic! Watkins(?) I believe was his name. Very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I can't say enough about this experience. If you're in Quitaque, Turkey, or any of the surrounding areas, make the trip to see this canyon! read more

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What a great park. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. The gift shop has very reasonable prices and mostly affordable. Admission is very inexpensive. This park has a lot of places with restrooms and rest shaded stops. There is a big lake you can swim. Bison roam round and you can spot prairie dogs. The landscape is beautiful with a lot of no so deep canyons and there is a lot of green. We could not hike this time as it was a very hot but will come back to hike and explore many trails this place offers. Definitely recommended. read more

This is a beautiful slice of Texas! We loved this park so much! Lots of great hiking trails and some cute little prairie dogs to keep you laughing! read more

Caprock Canyons State Park - Parks Near Me

I loved this park. Great trails! We loved the fern cave on the upper canyon trail, and the views from atop the John Haynes trail were spectacular. We stayed and tent camped at the lakeside campsites. I like that they are walk in sites so you don't have to deal with nearby car traffic, and it was nice to be by the lake to swim and fish. We also did a Saturday morning bird watch, and that was fun and informative. This is a really great place to check out. My only complaint, and for state parks in general, is that some really trashy people can show up at make the camping really annoying. The lake Theo campsites are kind of tight together, which I have no problem with, except on one of the nights (and only one night thank jeebus), a family of 8 or so split 2 sites next to ours, and they were the worst. The first thing they did was show up and walked down to the lake next to us where we were fishing. They chatted, and then one boy in the party (he was of adult age, but I refuse to call him a real man), dropped his empty coke can next to lake and then they walked back to their campsite. I picked up the can about an hour later and walked up to them and told them it was disrespectful to litter and that if they needed a trash bag I had plenty to spare. They blamed the issue on the culprit, the little man-boy named "Andrew". The family then proceeded to put up their ginormous 15 person tent, smoke cigarettes the whole time and throw the butts on the ground, and be loud most of the time. At one point, little man-boy "Andrew" was smoking a cigarette and then flipped me off while throwing his cigarette butt on the ground when he thought I was not watching. (I'd also like to point out the hypocrisy with the cross necklaces he was wearing around his neck). Seriously, if you can't respect and appreciate the outdoors, then don't show up. Peace and love to Caprock Canyon State Park. For Andrew and his family, please drive off a cliff and die. read more

This was our second time camping at Caprock. The first time we visited, no issues. We came back because we love this park: beautiful, secluded, the ranging bison etc. We live in Dallas and drove 6 plus hours after work on Friday to set up camp for the weekend. We loved it so much the first time, we raved to a friend and he had to see what the hype was about and joined us for our second visit. This review is based on the officer who pulled us over Friday night, for going 39 inadvertently down a steep hill in a 30mph zone. He asked for all of our licenses and asked us repeatedly if we had any outstanding warrants and if we'd been drinking. Treated us like criminals, but was nice enough to let us go with a warning. Having arrived at 10:30pm or so, we set up camp, had a few beers, and waited to see if the clouds would pass so we could see the milky way. We had no idea how close we were to the other camp sites, and apparently a few other campers could hear us and complained. We apologized to the ranger who came to our campsite the next morning, who then told us we would be visited by the state park officer. Over a noise complaint? We didn't have music playing, we weren't acting like drunken fools. Now that you made us aware of our inappropriate noise level and how close others are to us, we'll be sure to keep it down. We went for a beautiful hike, and right as we returned, we were visited by the ranger (same man who pulled us over the night before), who rode up to our campsite on a horse. My 10 pound Yorki, who was laying under the trees to cool off from the hike, freaked out and ran over to the horse barking. The officer said we had to have the dog on a leash at all times. He then proceeded to ask 1 million questions, how many beers we had, if we had drugs on us, etc. Serious questioning for a noise complaint and a dog off a leash, don't you think? He then walked around our tent, looking in the windows, asked to look through our backpack, which he did and found 2 fruits (prickly pears) that we picked off a cactus. Our friend read up on them and found out they were edible (Its like picking an orange off a tree, right? Apparently not, its a violation, which we did not know). Then he asked to search my car! Are you kidding me?! He was obviously digging for things to get us in trouble even though the violations themselves were ridiculously minuscule. He explained we have 4 violations against us, the speeding the night before, the fruit, the dog off the leash and the noise complaint. These "violations" are ridiculous to say the least. He was going to write me a ticket for the fruit and dog off the leash, but a few minutes later he decided we were innocent enough, conceded we were just there trying to enjoy the park and gave me a written warning instead. Not a few hours later, he came back to our campsite! My boyfriend and our friend were both sitting around the campfire having a beer (in a can) and he wrote them both tickets for having alcohol in public. (Tickets ended up being $200 each). He did tell us earlier that we could not have alcohol out in public areas, but we assumed our campsite (that no one else can see into) was not "public" and it would certainly be fine to have a beer around your campfire. We are not children, we are respectful adults, who are of age and have been for a while, and who act accordingly. The officer kept referring to us as college kids, which we are not and have not been for 7 years plus. Forewarning everyone - keep all your alcohol in another container so the rangers "cant see" that its alcohol (even at your campsite), keep your dogs on a leash at all times, and don't pick the fruit! I'm sure there are many more regulations, but luckily we were only there for 1 full day and 2 nights, so we only have time to rack up a handful of violations. I thought there was suppose to be freedoms out in the wilderness? We have camped at numerous state parks, California, Florida, Indiana, Colorado, etc, and have NEVER been treated this way. If this is how Texas State Parks are, Texas can keep them. We will NOT be going back to Caprock Canyon, and if the rangers keep it up, we won't be the only ones not returning. read more

To add to Greta G's great review: we visited over spring break with our kids ages 8 and 10. In mid March, there is not much green anywhere, it's very windy and cool, you'll need a jacket with some kind of windbreaker. I wouln'd want to tent camp here in March, (although there were plenty of brave souls doing it) only the primitive sites were available. We drove to Childress, an hour away and stayed at the Days Inn (see my review). We hiked the canyon rim trail, it was an easy hike with lots of gorgeous views. We had a picnic at the lake (all the picnic tables have a roof over them) and saw the Bison way in the distance although clearly they come to the lake to drink water, we saw the evidence for ourselves... We hiked small bits of another trail, can't think of it's name, got great photos of the the geology of the place, gypsum striations against the red rock and blue sky just gorgeous. We saw the prairie dogs, they hide when your'e on foot but come out while you are in your car so all our prairie dog photos are from car level. The next day we decided to hike on part of the trailway, which is separate from the park. We did the bit that starts at Monk's trail crossing that leads to the Clarity Tunnel, where the bats come out. So, heres the advice for that trail. It has a big trailhead and plenty of parking. First of all the trail is completely level and filled out with crushed granite so it's perfect for kids in that it's an easy trail to hike. It's not so great in that it is 4.5 miles to the tunnel, in a completely straight line that stretched endlessly into the distance with no shade at all on the trail, the trek broken up by six wooden bridges each one successively longer, until we crossed a suspension bridge. This trail would be perfect for a bike ride. We did not have bikes, we walked. It took us almost three hours of walking to get the the tunnel, there was much whining. We arrived near sunset, we were told the bats would not be there until April. As we walked through the tunnel we could hear the bats waking up and chirping in the ceiling- they were there, not many but they were there. On the far side of the tunnel is where the benches are, and the trail begins to hug the canyon more, but after 4.5 miles with another 4.5 miles on the return trip we didn't explore it. The far side of the tunnel is really a better place to see the bats come out. We didn't want to do the tunnel in the dark so we walked back quickly , we saw a few bats stiring but being native Texans we've seen that kind of thing before, so were happy to skip the remiander of the show in favor of not being in the tunnel at night which was spooky enough in daylight. FYI There is one composting toilet available on each side of the tunnel, unless you are biking there you will likely have need much sooner. We made a night hike back, under a nearly full moon and a bright starry texas sky. We saw deer, javelina, lizards, birds, no coyote but we saw their droppings alright. The big dipper led the way and the crushed granite path shone in the moonlight. It was 9pm when we made it back to the car, the return trip took half the time and 1/3 the whining. The next day I met a woman who said she used to go to Clarity Tunnel in July to pick wild plums, and when she went through the tunnel she checked for rattle snakes! read more

Nice park. We camped by Lake Theo, and went on the hike to the overlook and down the north side (do it, but in the opposite order as that last stretch is hot and desolate). Campsites in that area are too close together. We had a cardinal that saw his reflection in our car mirror and spent 3 days trying to get the other cardinal! Prairie dogs are fun to watch too. Showers have a lot of bugs in them, I avoided the one with the giant spider. Fun park to visit, 3.5 stars. The Allsup in town should have anything you forgot and is within 5 miles, but not many food options there. read more

Absolutely beautiful park! The views are amazing and the trails are great! The park has great amenities and the staff is fantastic! Highly recommended!! read more