Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife

The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon is a new sixty-minute documentary by Amarillo PBS affiliate KACV-TV; it tells the story of the canyon from prehistoric times until today.

[It’s] a Jam-packed hour.

Marcie Robinson is a producer at KACV-TV. The program which airs September 12 not only digs into the canyon’s ancient past, it also highlights when Palo Duro became a state park.

There weren’t any national parks [in Texas] to speak of when Texas was annexed, and so state parks came into play. And Palo Duro Canyon was basically all privately owned and people were really interested in the community to get a state park because Palo Duro was so beautiful and so interesting. They wanted to preserve this land. The land was sold to the state of Texas after a long, drawn out process. And the state park was born. Fourth of July, 1934, was the grand opening of Palo Duro Canyon State park.

Robinson says you will always remember the first time you set eyes on the canyon.

We’re flat here in the Panhandle. We’re flatlands and you’re driving, and you’re driving, and it’s flat and it’s flat and it’s flat, and then all of a sudden the ground opens up, you know, and it’s wow, what is this? And it’s mind-boggling. And Randy Ferris, Palo Duro Canyon Superintendent, he talks about it as a mountain in reverse.

The Natural Wonder of Texas: Palo Duro Canyon airs on KACV-TV in Amarillo, September 12; and later on their website for all Texans to enjoy.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Calendar of events at Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

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