Juniper Campground — Palo Duro Canyon State Park

About 5 miles into the canyon past the entrance. I arrived after check-in hours and they had my packet waiting for me at the entrance. It was about 105 when I got in at 5pm in July (to be expected), but cooled down some overnight with a bit of rain. Great access to the Juniper trail with the cave— definitely worth checking out. Saw a baby scorpion in the bathroom sink, but pretty clean bathroom facilities. Biggest downside besides the heat was the relentless biting flies.

Juniper CG - Paul Duro : (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 4 – secluded campground all outside sites are nice. Security: @Park entrance Usage during visit: 50% Site Privacy: junipers offer a degree of privacy Site Spacing: pretty good except some of the inside sites back up to Pad surface: Blacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: not noticeable Through Traffic in campground: no Electric Hookup: yes Sewer Hookup: no Dump Station: down the road Potable Water Available: at the sites Bathroom: flush toilet Showers: yes Pull Throughs: many Cell Service (AT&T): one bar Setting: scattered junipers and deciduous trees with nice view of Canyon walls on both sides of the canyon. Recent Weather: 30 to 70 Insects: none Host: two park hosts are at the campground Rig Size: large rigs are here Sites: my favorite sites: 97,99, 100 101 103, 105, 107, 109, 111 (a bit closer to the road), 113 (close to the road.) 110. Most inner loop sites aren’t very private. The best ones are among my list above.

This is a unique little campground at the bottom of a canyon. Lots of hiking to do. Very quiet. Sites are nice and spacious and there are shelters over the picnic tableS when we were there there was a burn ban so. O fires or charcoal. They have horseback riding and a nice camp store

Another great campground loop inside Palo Duro Canyon. Nice, level sites with water and electric hookups. Two dump stations in the park to choose from. There is a store with small restaurant inside.

This campsite is close to The Big Cave. What a great area to explore!

Quiet and clean campsite. Each site is well spaced with a fire pit, table and cover. The shower facilities were clean and water was hot. Lots of hikes and wildlife.

Absolutely beautiful park. Very peaceful. Stars galore at night. Big State park. Had my electric bike so I was able to see most of the park. Hiking/biking trails for all skill levels. There are stables in the park that I went on an 1 hour ride.

Gorgeous views from the campsite! Massive space between RV pads! Amazing outside patio with cover and aluminum table! Large red granite rocks for seating if you forgot you're own! Plenty of space at the park for corn hole, darts, or even a little baseball tossing with the little peeps! Wildlife was cool too, complete with friendly Road runners and Terrantula Spiders!

Camped on Memorial Day Weekend, the park is run beautifully. Loved hiking the trails with my dogs. Campsites were nice, stayed at juniper the first night. It had a pavilion on every site, and located next to restrooms. Beautiful view of side of the canyon. I wouldn't recommend staying at Hackberry sites 1-4 it's closer to the main road which is 30mph.

I camped down in the canyon for 3 days and had a fantastic time. There’s a small store with tiny restaurant and tons of good hiking trails. I easily walked several trails even though I can’t walk far due to a hip disability. 

You will find this to be a favorite campground worthy of bringing the entire family to several times.

While approaching the park most first timers would think “What canyon?” For miles in all directions outside of Amarillo are fields and wind Turbines. When you make that first turn after entering the park WOW is such a weak descriptor. The view is spectacular. 2 miles wide, 800 feet deep and 12 miles long. Absolutely fantastic! The park is very linear. One way in and a loop at the far end. Many trails (equestrian hiking and biking) are available. The maps provided are top notch. The have a park store (called The Trading Post) about 4 miles into the park. Gas, diesel, propane, hot food service. It was extremely handy. To be fair there was one draw back to this park, I’ve never seen as many flies anywhere. Apparently this is a common situation. Here are some of our pictures. 

The area of Texas around Palo Duro is flat and uninteresting almost until the rim of the canyon, at which point you drive down a well maintained, winding road to a campground at the bottom of the canyon. The road and several buildings on the site were built by the CCC. We were in a 17-foot Casita RV parked in a loop with other larger rigs but had reasonable privacy due to well designed spaces with picnic tables set in low-growing junipers and other greenery. We had 30-amp and water hook-ups but dumped at a dump station on the main road just outside our loop. Central bathroom with shower was clean. The rangers and staff and about half the guests we encountered masked in public spaces i.e. restrooms. Strongly recommend hiking through the canyon - trails we hike were relatively flat but accessed interesting and beautiful terrain.

We stayed here for one night to do a little hiking and mountain bike riding. Lots of fun trails. Beautiful rock formations and caves to explore. Dogs are welcome on leashes any were outside in the park. We stayed in Juniper Campground spot 103. It was a pull through site. All of the sights are spacious and have fire rings along with covered picnic tables. It gets super hot in the summer so spring and fall temperatures may be better. Bring lots of water. I’m definitely going to be coming back soon and often. I didn’t use the facilities but they looked new and spacious from the outside and we heard they were good.

The scenery in this park is outstanding. Staff is friendly and helpful. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained. Definitely a ‘must see’ campground.

The sites are spacious and you’re surrounded by so much beauty you feel like your boondocking even though you have water and electric hookups!

This was my favorite park traveling through Texas. The canyons are beautiful ,the hiking trails are extremely good, you could mountain bike also. Easy to take good pictures over here, OK it’s hot but for sure I will be coming back here.Great RV sited. June 24 to 27. 2020

Stayed here for a few days in our van again with my wife on our 25th wedding anniversary trip! Beautiful! Had a great time and made some fantastic memories!

Nice. Bathroom could be cleaner. Deer in campground.

We had to do late check in but were able to select a more secluded site in Wolfberry to set up camp. There was a fire ban due to the heat in the area but it was okay since we pretty much just needed a place to rest for the evening before heading further north. The next morning we checked out the sights but were unable to actually do any trails. Some seemed a little difficult for our young children. The park was well maintained and the park employees were very helpful.

Wow, this place is incredible! It’s a state park but could easily qualify as a National Park based on the natural beauty and park programs. This is a major state park with hundreds of camping sites for all levels of camping from large RVs to simple tent campers. The canyon is huge on covers hundreds square miles. It’s about a one day drive from Austin and located near Amarillo in the Texas Plains. This area can get very cold in the winter and extremely hot in the summer. The campgrounds are down in the canyon which is normally hotter. We visited in July on the way back from Colorado. It was 93 degrees at 10pm at night. So tent campers need to plan carefully. They have some of the Best facilities for a state park. The amphitheater is very popular and puts on great programs. We canyons are breathtaking and the red variations of the canyon walls are fantastic for artists and photographers alike. The visitors center staff were very helpful and were able to accommodate a couple of special request. They are open until 9pm which is great. The restrooms and other facilities are some of the best we have experienced. The hiking trails here are a highlight and popular for hiking and mountain biking. We saw eagles and roadrunners during our stay. The area has some interesting history and worth learning more. I would highly recommend for those looking for a campsite in Northern Texas near Amarillo. This has to be one of the best Texas State Parks on our list.

Great camping. Absolutely beautiful place. Was pretty empty when I was here. Great hiking and perfect sunsets. Would stay again.

Spent 2 nights and 3 days in the canyon with my dog. It was during the week and I wasn’t allowed to do a two night and had to move camp sites which was annoying and why I took off a star. Besides that great stay and great hikes with scenic views.

October was perfect time to stay here. Temp’s were comfortable. Beautiful canyon, colors are unbelievable. Really enjoyed this State Park. Will visit again!

Juniper site 113, full hook ups, right across from bathrooms/showers which are well kept and nice! Cell service is sketchy— tv reception got a few digital channels. Fire pit/grill combo, covered picnic table. Lots of hiking trails. Well spaced sites with privacy.

Unexpected beautiful canyon in northern Texas! Beautiful views and clean, well maintained tent sites! Many trails walking distance from your camp and shared water spigots near sites. Come for the canyon and stay for Texas the musical! That exceeded my expectations too!

We had a wonderful experience here back in April 2018. You can look up from most campsites and see the cliffs. Trails to walk around and an awesome gift shop with fountain drinks and plenty of snacks. The turkeys were walking around the campsites. Our camp host rode around talking to all campers on his jeep. People talked to one another in the mornings and evenings. I give credit to our park host for telling us all the info we needed to know and creating a safe atmosphere. Great place for Hiking, Biking, and Equestrian events.

Our family loved it here, we can't wait to go back- we just have to mentally prepare for a 13 hour car drive. That's Texas for ya!

Land steeped in history. This place fills fast! Stunning views and hiking opportunities. A must see in Texas.

Palo Duro Canyon is just amazing! We have been 3 times, as it is one of our stopping points on our Texas and Colorado trek. Seeing the canyon is such a treat! Be sure to ask about the best spots to take pictures at sunset.

If you go in the Summer, expect it to be HOT, and always have water with you. The drive down to the campsites has lots of switchbacks, but we have successfully navigated it with our RV in tow. MANY opportunities for hiking, climbing, biking and just walking around. The rock formations are just wonderful, and if you are a photographer, you will love this park.

The Texas Show is a MUST- at least once in your life!!

The famous Lighthouse trail was great first thing when the park opens & before it becomes too crowded with park visitors. It’s an easy trek to the end of the trail and back, with a shaded area for a snack and water break. Driving through the park is breathtaking with the colors of the canyons and landscape. We did a challenging trail, which only had one other couple, and it was beautiful to walk along the ridge of the canyon and see more of the park.

Palo Duro Canyon is undeniably beautiful. Outside of any reviews of camping the canyon itself is a wonder.

We've stayed in a few of the RV loops, but our favorite is Juniper. Its the furthest inside the park but has had recent renovations to the sites and bathroom facilities. Sites are reasonably spaced apart with water and electric hook ups. A few pull through spots are available in Juniper. Sites are level with fresh gravel and a covered concrete pad with picnic table.

You can access several trails from Juniper. The mountain biking in Palo Duro is fantastic. As well as the hiking. Summers are very hot, but Spring and Fall are great times to visit.

The gate is usually busy when you check in but the rangers always do a great job.