The Geologic Story of Palo Duro CanyonMatthews, William Henry
Science
The Geologic Story of Palo Duro Canyon
Matthews, William Henry
Geology -- Texas -- Palo Duro State Park; Palo Duro State Park (Tex.)
The unpaved road to the Lighthouse enters Park Road 5 about two-tenths
of a mile beyond the first water crossing. Although considered by many
to be the canyon’s best-known landmark, the Lighthouse is actually not
within park boundaries. It is located in Little Sunday Canyon about 3
miles west of the road and is not easily accessible to the average
visitor. Like many of the park’s natural attractions, the Lighthouse is
an erosional remnant of colorful Trujillo shales and sandstones (fig.
31). A similar pedestal rock, the Devil’s Tombstone, can be reached by
means of a trail which leaves the Lighthouse road and enters Sunday
Canyon.
[Illustration: Fig. 30. When Colonel Charles Goodnight settled in
the canyon in 1876 he lived in a primitive dugout similar to the one
shown here.]
_Capitol Peak_ (13).—
Capitol Peak (figs. 20 and 32) is a rather imposing geologic feature
that can be seen from a number of points along Park Road 5. There are
especially good views in the vicinity of the second water crossing if
one will look to the west of the road. Just beyond the crossing an
unimproved road leads to the foot of Capitol Peak. The lower part of
this feature is composed of Quartermaster shales of Permian age and the
upper section consists largely of Triassic Tecovas shales. When viewed
from the proper angle, the silhouette of Capitol Peak is thought to
resemble the prostrate form of a human (fig. 32). For this reason it has
also been called the Sleeping Indian.
_Fortress Cliff_ (14).—
The Ogallala Formation of Pliocene age (p. 23) forms the upper rim of
the canyon and is well exposed in impressive Fortress Cliff (fig. 33).
Although this precipitous cliff dominates the eastern rim of the canyon
along most of the scenic drive, especially good views are afforded
between the second and third water crossings.
_The Rock Garden_ (15).—
Shortly after fording the river at the fifth water crossing, there is a
jumbled pile of boulders on the west side of the road (fig. 34). This
accumulation of Trujillo sandstone blocks has been named the Rock
Garden. Many boulders such as these have accumulated on the floor of the
canyon in ages past. However, most of these have been destroyed by
weathering and their fragments removed by the canyon’s streams.
_The Devil’s Slide_ (16).—
The Devil’s Slide can be reached by an unimproved road that leads
southwest from the scenic drive for a distance of about half a mile.
Composed of upper Quartermaster and lower Tecovas shales, the surface of
this eroded spur is laced with many trails and “slides” that have been
made by previous visitors (fig. 35).
[Illustration: Fig. 31. The Lighthouse, an erosional remnant and the
“trademark” of Palo Duro Canyon, exhibits well the geologic
phenomenon of differential erosion (p. 31).]
_The Turnaround_ (17).—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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