Copper Breaks State Park
State park in Hardeman County, in the Panhandle Plains region. Established 1974. 1,930 acres by TPWD boundary data.
Copper Breaks is a rugged, red-rock park near Quanah in North Texas and an International Dark Sky Park, with star parties every month from April through November. Members of the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd live here. The 60-acre no-wake lake has a designated swimming area, fishing and room for small boats.
Things to do
Stargaze
Copper Breaks is an International Dark Sky Park, with a TPWD Bortle rating of 2. Star parties run monthly April through November; check the events page.
Hike and bike
The Juniper Ridge Nature Trail (hiking only, 0.7 mile, challenging) leads to views of the red rock. Mountain bikers can try the MTB Loop and Chris' Link.
Swim, fish and paddle
Swim at the designated area (no lifeguards), fish Lake Copper Breaks or Big Pond with no license needed, and bring a kayak, canoe or small boat. Jet skis aren't allowed.
Ride horses
The 3.8-mile Equestrian Trail crosses canyons and mesas. Bring your own horse and a negative Coggins test.
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Trails
Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.
| Trail | Distance | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| River Run Trail(hiking and biking) | 1.4 mi | Moderate |
| Bull Canyon Short Loop(hiking and biking) | 1 mi | Easy |
| Chris' Link(hiking and biking) | 1.3 mi | Easy |
| Equestrian Trail(hiking, biking and equestrian) | 3.8 mi | Moderate |
| Juniper Ridge Nature Trail(hiking only) | 0.7 mi | Challenging |
| Rocky Ledges Loop(hiking and biking) | 1.1 mi | Challenging |
| Thirsty Horse Trail(hiking and biking) | 0.3 mi | Easy |
| Power Line Trail(hiking and biking) | 0.8 mi | Moderate |
| Bull Canyon Homesteader Loop | 0.9 mi | Moderate |
Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).
Camping
Choose drive-up sites with amenities, hike-in primitive sites, equestrian sites or two group camps. The Big Pond equestrian sites are open to all campers.
| Site type | Sites | Sleeps | Per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric | 24 | 8 | $20 |
| Campsites with WaterTent sites with water | 11 | 8 | $12 |
| Campsites with Water (Equestrian)Equestrian | 14 | 8 | $12 |
| Primitive Campsites (Hike-in)Primitive | 6 | 8 | $12 |
| Group Camp (Big Pond)Group | 5 | 8 | $12 |
| Group Camp (Cottonwood)Group | 4 | 8 | $12 |
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 and summer
- January low
- 24°F
- July high
- 97°F
- Rain per year
- 23.4 in.
- Night sky
- Bortle 2
TPWD lists spring and summer as the busy season. Winters are cold (the January average low is 24°F), and July averages 97°F.
Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).
Getting there
Quanah, TX 79252-7679
(940) 839-4331
Open in OpenStreetMap (34.1122, -99.7433)
| From | Approx. drive | Straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | 2 hr 58 min | 140 mi |
| Lubbock | 3 hr 19 min | 129 mi |
| Fort Worth | 3 hr 47 min | 166 mi |
| Dallas | 4 hr 18 min | 194 mi |
| Midland | 5 hr 13 min | 199 mi |
| Waco | 5 hr 27 min | 230 mi |
Nearby parks
Questions people ask
Is Copper Breaks a Dark Sky Park?
Yes. The International Dark Sky Association has designated it an International Dark Sky Park.
Are there longhorns at Copper Breaks?
Yes. Members of the Official State of Texas Longhorn Herd live in the park.
Photo credits
- Copper Breaks State Park with the Milky Way Galaxy.jpg by Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Copper Breaks State Park (2016).jpg by Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas, CC BY 2.0.
- Copper Breaks State Park.jpg by Eamesheard, CC BY 4.0.
- Copper Breaks State Park Rock Outcropping.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
- Copper Breaks State Park Camping Area.jpg by Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0.
Sources
Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Copper Breaks has current alerts and closures.
- TPWD: Copper Breaks State Park, 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: Copper Breaks State Park campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Copper Breaks State Park trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
- TPWD: Copper Breaks State Park 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