Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway
State park in Briscoe County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1982. 15,063 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Caprock Canyons is home to the Texas State Bison Herd, which roams the park's red rock canyons in the Panhandle, about two hours from Amarillo or Lubbock. There are nearly 90 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horses, plus swimming and no-wake boating on Lake Theo. On the Trailway, bats roost in Clarity Tunnel in the warmer months. The bison are wild animals, so keep your distance.
Things to do
See the bison
Bison roam the park. TPWD asks visitors to stay a safe distance away and to read its bison safety tips.
Hike or ride the canyons
Trails run from easy to very challenging. TPWD rates the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail very challenging, and only experienced riders should take bikes or horses on the harder trails, which have cliffs, drop-offs and steep grades.
Clarity Tunnel
Hike the Trailway to Clarity Tunnel, where bats roost in warmer months. There is no water on the Trailway.
Lake Theo
Swim, fish and boat (no wake) on the 120-acre lake. You can borrow a fishing pole at headquarters.
Trails
TPWD counts about 90 miles of trails in the park. These are the named trails it lists, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Point Trail | 2 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Canyon Rim Trail | 3 mi | Moderate | 2.5 hrs. |
| Old Ranch Road | 5.9 mi | Moderate | 4.5 hr. |
| Wild Horse Trail | 2.3 mi | Moderate | 1.5 hrs. |
| Lower South Prong Trail | 2.2 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
| Lower North Prong | 2.9 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
| Mesa Trail | 3.1 mi | Moderate | 2 hrs. |
| North Prong Spur | 1.3 mi | Moderate | 1 hr. |
| Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail | 2.3 mi | Very Challenging | 2.5 hrs. |
| Upper South Prong Trail | 2.6 mi | Challenging | 2 hrs. |
| Upper North Prong Trail | 2 mi | Challenging | 2 hrs. |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Campsites range from drive-up sites with electricity to walk-in and hike-in primitive sites, plus equestrian sites with corrals.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with Electricity (50 amp)Water and electric | 10 | 8 | $22 |
| Campsites with Electricity (30 amp)Water and electric | 25 | 8 | $17 |
| Campsites with Water (Walk-in | Lake Theo)Tent sites with water | 9 | 8 | $14 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in | Little Red)Primitive | 10 | 8 | $14 |
| Primitive Campsites (Walk-in | South Prong)Primitive | 30 | 8 | $12 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in)Primitive | 16 | 4 | $12 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in | Along Trailway)Primitive | 4 | $12 | |
| Primitive Campsites (Equestrian)Equestrian | 12 | 8 | $14 |
Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.
Visiting with dogs
Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than 6 feet. Like every Texas state park, they can't go into park buildings or designated swimming areas.
Swimming
Swimming is allowed in designated areas. There are no lifeguards at Texas state parks.
Best time to go
- Busy season
- Spring, summer and fall
- July high
- 91°F
- Rain per year
- 20.4 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 2
TPWD lists spring, summer and fall as the busy season. Summer air can top 110°F, and the ground can reach 130–140°F. Winter lows average 19°F in January, and it sometimes snows. With a Bortle rating of 2, the night sky is among the darkest in the state parks.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Quitaque, TX 79255
(806) 455-1492
Open in OpenStreetMap (34.4103, -101.0533)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | 2 hr 11 min | 70 mi |
| Lubbock | 2 hr 18 min | 76 mi |
| Midland | 4 hr 13 min | 176 mi |
| Fort Worth | 5 hr 27 min | 241 mi |
| Dallas | 5 hr 58 min | 271 mi |
| Waco | 7 hr 7 min | 298 mi |
Nearby parks
- Palo Duro Canyon State Park
- Copper Breaks State Park
- Lake Colorado City State Park
- Big Spring State Park
- Lake Arrowhead State Park
Straight-line distance. See every park in the Panhandle Plains.
Questions people ask
Are there bison at Caprock Canyons State Park?
Yes. The Texas State Bison Herd lives in the park. They are wild animals, so keep a safe distance.
Can you swim at Caprock Canyons?
Yes, in Lake Theo, which also allows fishing and no-wake boating.
How far is Caprock Canyons from Amarillo?
About two hours and 10 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.
Photo credits
- Gypsum layers Caprock Canyons 1.JPG by Fredlyfish4, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Caprock Canyons Haynes Ridge 2005.JPG by Leaflet, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- Cap Rock Canyons State Park in Quitaque, TX - 42838390554.jpg by Gail Frederick, CC BY 2.0.
- Cap Rock Canyons State Park in Quitaque, TX.jpg by Gail Frederick, CC BY 2.0.
- Caprock Canyon SP (13313922374).jpg by RichieB_pics, CC BY 2.0.
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Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Caprock Canyons has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Caprock Canyons State Park & Trailway history, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Dark Sky Parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026