Fortress Cliff Primitive — Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Fortress Cliff is definitely one of the more primitive sites in the park. Porta potties only whereas some have full showers and flush toilets. Sites are spacious and shaded making this still a great site.

Positives: Beautiful site and large! We were on the outer loop and had awesome views of the canyon walls Wildlife at camp - saw roadrunner and heard coyotes at night (eerie but also magical)! Staff were amazing! We came in after the entrance station closed and they had a packet with our name on it waiting for us with maps and more in it!

Downfalls: Only port-a potties If you were on the inner part of the loop you might not have as great of a view looking at other sites instead… Lots of bugs

Overall this would’ve been the PERFECT camp site minus the few downfalls. We would 1000% come back again!

I grew up in Dallas and am sad to say that I didn't know about Palo Duro. The canyon sneaks up on you, literally. There's no foreshadowing until you turn onto the canyon road and then it appears if out of nowhere...majestic, serene, simply breathtaking.

Facilities are excellent and fellow campers, polite. The park has an excellent gift shop with quality silver and native art. I can't wait for my next visit.

FORTRESS CLIFF Rating: 3.5 as not a lot of visual privacy from adjacent sites. However the view of cliffs is very clear Security: at park entrance Usage during visit: 50% Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Fair Parking Pad: gravel Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet during my short visit Outside Road Noise: Some sites are near the park road. Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: Scattered spigots Generators: Check Bathroom: Portable toilets Showers: At Hackberry CG Cell Service (AT&T): one bar here. Setting: under deciduous trees with canyon walls, viewable on both sides of the cg. Recent Weather: 30s to 70s Solar: Definitely Insects: None Host: not on site Sites: Sites: my favorites: 49,47, 45,43, 41* 37(close to the park Road, but on the outside perimeter of the loop.)

Wonderful sites and very nice park employees. I wish I would have brought my mountain bike, the trails are sick! Good hookups, spacious sites and clean areas.

Wow, Palo Duro Canyon sounds like a dream outdoor getaway! Can't wait to explore the trails and catch a TEXAS Outdoor Musical. Any hidden gems you recommend checking out? unscramble words

The park is also home to a variety of wildlife, including deer, javelinas, and coyotes. You might even spot a bald eagle or a golden-cheeked warbler if you're lucky retro bowl

Only a port-a-potty which was tough. But didn’t feel too crowded even though you are inside the park

My review will follow suit with many of the other reviews .  The way this campground is set up with an inner and outer ring, will leaves you feeling very congested and crowded.  if you are on the inner ring of the campsite, you will not have an unfettered view to the surrounding scenery. 

That being said the location is ideal for many of the hiking trails and if You don’t mind being surrounded by other people, than I do t have a single complaint. There is water access and porter potties for bathroom use (which are very clean for what they are)

Be careful of the time of year you may go, the flies can also be horrible if you go in the summer months.

Love this state park, driving into the canyon is very cool. Campground located at the bottom - zero service w/ t-mobile. Bugs were BAD in July. Electric on site and water.

I have mixed feelings about Fortress Cliff campground. It's in a scenic location. We camped there in a campervan. Tent & car campers there as well. The layout of the campground was a little confusing & strange. Sites were really close to the campground loop road. No privacy between sites. The shelter was good. Water quality was good. Three porto-potties; these were pretty clean & had tp. Trash dumpster also on site. No campground host; didn't see a patrol. One site had loud occupants through the night. Check-in was easy. Really good hiking trails. If I planned to come back, I will try to pay the extra money & get a site in the park's Mesquite Campground down the road; very nice campground. The campground had hot showers & a clean restroom.

Excellent tent camping location inside Palo Duro Canyon. Winter camping is excellent here. The temps were really cold, but no bugs and no sweating made for a great Thanksgiving trip.

There is a nearby camp store with a simple menu restaurant. The also rent propane fire pits sonde there is usually always a burn ban.

Lots of nearby hiking trails. This campground is very close to the popular and usually full Trailhead for the Lighthouse.

We stayed in one of the cabins that overlook the Canyon, situated right on the ridge (Sorenson was the name of ours I believe). The cabin was small but fit our family of 5 well since we had a cot and sleeping mats. Beautiful and night and in early morning/late afternoon, but the middle of the day was so hot there wasn’t much to do. Trails closed at 11 am since there was a heat advisory, and we hiked some anyways but didn’t go far since it was dangerously hot. We backpacked a minimal distance the second night and had a beautiful view of the canyon walls, although some trouble with avoiding cacti. The established campgrounds were mostly empty and we didn’t see anyone else when we camped in the backcountry area. The heat was bearable at night, but we had to sleep with the tent doors open for airflow. No fires were permitted.

What a surprise this place is! The land around Amarillo is flat as a pancake. But head a few miles south and Palo Duro Canyon opens up vistas that rival the Grand Canyon in Arizona. There are many foot and horse trails that offer a close look at the multicolored canyon walls.

There are several campgrounds on the canyon floor. I stayed at Fortress Cliff Camp Area. Each site has a paved picnic table space with an awning - very important here. It gets hot and the sun is relentless. The spaces are of generous size. I could have easily pitched four or five more tents. The ground is great for driving stakes, too. They go in easy but they hold fast.

There are water spigots at Fortress Cliff, but only porta potties (reasonably clean when I visited). For a real bathroom with flushing toilets, showers, and hot and cold running water that can run continuously, head down the road to Mesquite Camp Area. This campground is geared for RVs, which typically have their own bathroom facilities. Wonder why they built a nice bathroom here and not at Fortress Cliff? Hmmm.

Aside from the heat (about 104 °F when I arrived in June), the main downside here is the flies. They bite. Through clothing. Hard to stay in one place very long when the flies are after you.

Beautiful campground down a windy road. Tent site doesn't get much of the expansive views, but it is much easier to set up shade shelters. Beware of the heat, even when headed into fall. Pleasant morning temperatures don't last long.

This park is beautiful!  We had a great time hiking the trails, many are easy enough for 60+ campers.  Many of the campgrounds have electric and water.  There are several campgrounds scattered through the park.  The bathrooms were clean, well maintained. 

We would love to return here.  I highly recommend this park. 

The road down through the park is VERY steep so be prepared.

I certainly understand why they call it the “Grand Canyon of Texas”! This is an absolutely stunning place with rustic camping and great hiking trails. We did The Lighthouse Trail all the way to the top and it was stunning. There’s a Trading Post inside the park with groceries, firewood, and souvenirs, they also make a great burger!

We stayed one night. The campsite we were in was spacious. The restroom and shower facilities were clean. There are plenty of hiking trails.

Be aware: the road inside the park has several up and down grades of 6-10%. In a couple of places there are switchbacks that make navigating a long rig difficult. Having said that, there were several large rigs in the campgrounds.

This park would’ve been a 5 for us had we not had trouble contacting them to get information about protocols for late check-in. We were never able to talk to anyone prior to arrival. When we left we talked to a ranger at the office and she was super nice.

We will be back, and hope to do more hiking in this very picturesque place!

Wow!! It’s an amazing hairpin turn drive down into the canyon. Awesome views on the way! Make sure to stop at the CCC overlook at the visitor center for photos and make your text or calls here, because here’s no cell service in the canyon, at least not for Verizon. I followed a large class A into the canyon and they were able to make it down.  I stayed in the Hackberry Camp area.

Nice space between the sites, mostly level with electric and water. 2 dump sites near this campground. So much  wildlife and the hiking is spectacular. Hackberry campground is near several trailheads (Givens, Spicer, Lowry trail and Upper Comanche). 

Make sure to check out the yurts for a real glamping experience.

went car camping just a few days ago. weather was absolutely perfect. it had just rained a little bit the day before. went hiking a bit.

Some of the other camping areas seemed less spacious and private, but we really liked our site in the tent-only Cactus Campground. It had a shade shelter, a picnic table, and a dirt tent pad. There was also a fire ring with a grill grate, but a burn ban was in place. The water faucet was just across the street and there were clean restrooms (with hot showers) up the road at the next campground. Even with some light pollution from town, the stars were beautiful.

We only stayed for two nights--not nearly enough to explore this incredible park. We're hoping to go back before it gets too warm.

Absolutely amazing trails and scenery. The summer heat there can be tough and rugged but it is always worth the trip over.

Upon entering the park, the descent down into the canyon is an amazing experience. The colors on the canyon walls and panoramic landscapes are breathtaking. The campsite was great! Had a picnic area with a pergola that overlooked the natural beauty. Bathrooms were clean and nice. It was nearly a full moon, so at night, the entire canyon lit up!

Be wary of tarantulas. They tend to stay out of the way, but something to be mindful of. We saw deer and turkeys too! Only stayed one night, but planning a trip back to stay several nights to explore and hike the area.

We camped one night here on our way to Colorado over Labor Day weekend and I’m SO glad we did! We stayed at the tent only campground, Cactus Camp, and it was perfect - short walk or quick drive to the Mesquite camp bathrooms & showers. It was hot during the day of course but for the beginning of September, it was surprisingly cool and comfortable at night! The stars at night, were big and bright... We hiked Rock Garden just before sunset and woke up at 5:30am to hike the Lighthouse Trail for sunrise (highly recommend getting an early start for coolers temps and an awesome sunrise at the lighthouse!). If you’re visiting Texas or have lived here your whole life, this is a bucket list state park! Go ahead and add it to yours :)

We stayed at fortress cliff campsite at the park. We got there after hours, and it was confusing to navigate the park at night. We did not have phone service at all. Our campsite did not have bathrooms or showers, although we were just a short drive away from them. The bathrooms and showers were fine, although not super clean. Our campsite had a little shelter and picnic table. Although basic, we felt safe and was a good place to rest our heads

I came here to visit the cantons and was not disappointed! I ended up taking the trails to the Lighthouse and the views were spectacular. The folks at the end of the bike were there with extra water and cold towels to cool off . Great place!

Great fun , so pretty , awesome hiking and biking , pet friendly . We stayed 3 days in late February weather was amazing .

This park is breathtaking with miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Will return again.

We got to the campground late Thursday night and were greeted by friendly staff. We were placed in the Fortress Cliff camp area. It was perfect for us, and far from everyone else. We got there right before a huge thunderstorm and were able to watch it go around the edge of the canyon—beautiful! We woke to a beautiful hot day and went on a hike. Friday evening was much busier and although the area we were camping in filled up, we felt secluded. The only downside to our camp area was that there were no bathrooms or showers. The porta-potties were very clean! We went to showers at a nearby camp area, only to be disappointed. The showers were very dirty and hair covered the drains. Something we can get past, but the park should pay more attention to the cleanliness of the bathrooms!

We stayed a cabin for one night and loved it!! The views are amazing!