Whether you’re a seasoned outdoors enthusiast with all the right gear for hiking, bike riding, and backpacking or someone who wouldn’t know a seatpost from a trekking pole, the Panhandle Plains region of Texas has a trail for you. So let’s explores some of the best trails in the state, offering opportunities to view unique wildlife and spectacular scenery.

Great exercise, first-rate family time, and some of the most spectacular scenery in the country are only a few of the benefits of hiking, biking, and backpacking in the Panhandle Plains region of Texas. Choice destinations range from rugged terrain and rolling grasslands to manicured trails that are home to a rich variety of wildlife.

Since the area is a favorite destination, travelers often return for different trips over the years. Whether you’re bringing families with kids or more experienced “outdoorsy” types, every trip reveals familiar thrills as well as new discoveries.

State Park Trails

Some of the best hike-and-bike trails in the area’s state parks can be described as “rocks and rolls.” Copper Breaks, Caprock Canyons, and Palo Duro Canyon offer routes that go up on cliffs, down into valleys, and everywhere in between. 

Copper Breaks State Park is small in size but big on attractions. The trails are well marked, and we hiked a total of 15 miles over two days—with a few stops to fish and swim in the lake. Visitors can see some of the official longhorn cattle that call the park home, and because Copper Breaks is an International Dark Sky Park, nightfall brought a spectacular star show.

Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway is so named for the many red rock overhangs, or “caps,” that surround the valley. They make for dramatic scenery, especially at sunset. The Caprock Canyons Trailway runs along what used to be railroad tracks.

Although some backpackers take on the entire 64.2-mile trail, many visitors travel only as far as the Clarity Tunnel, 10.5 miles from the Quitaque East trailhead near the park. The Clarity was one of the last railroad tunnels in use in the state and is now home to thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats. We camped nearby so we could watch them swarm out of the tunnel for their nightly feast (of insects, not us).

Just north of Caprock Canyons is Palo Duro Canyon State Park, the second-largest canyon formation in the country. Those with time to visit during their trip, those with time enjoy the unique experience this place offers. It’s a 120-mile-long, 800-foot-deep stunner, with a wide range of hike-and-bike trails and some of the best backpacking in the state.

Lakeside Trails

The Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area is a 576-acre refuge northeast of Amarillo. Part of the Black Kettle National Grassland, it features cleared pathways for hiking and biking, as well as a 63-acre lake. Travelers who have visited previously recommend hanging out near the lake’s marshlands in the evenings to see quail, turkeys, and deer and listen to the coyotes howl.

Located northeast of Abilene in the Plains region, Possum Kingdom is often called the most beautiful lake in the state because of its clear blue water. Surrounded by mesquite-covered hills, it has 300 miles of shoreline, varying from sandy beaches to 200-foot limestone cliffs.

There are two excellent trails here, and many start with the easier five mile PK Hike & Bike Trail, which goes up Redbird Hill. All along the trail are views of the lake, and you can sometimes spot several boats hauling water-skiers.

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