Palo Duro Canyon: Park Road 5

Park Road 5 · Rim → Canyon floor

Twisty5.1 mi15 min100 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,400 ftOne way

Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.

Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

The drive

Palo Duro Canyon is the second-largest canyon in the country, in the heart of the Texas Panhandle, and Park Road 5 is the only way down into it. The drive starts on the rim near the park entrance and the visitor center, then drops over the edge on a switchbacking grade, past bands of red and yellow rock, to the canyon floor.

The road was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose crews worked in the canyon from 1933 to 1937 on the road down the cliff and the visitor center on the rim. The park opened in 1934.

It's short, but the drop off the rim is the reason to come. The drive ends on the canyon floor, before the Alternate Park Road 5 junction. From there the road carries on past campgrounds, day-use areas and the Lighthouse trailhead, named for the canyon's best-known rock formation.

Along the way

Rim (Park Road 5)
Canyon floor

Elevation

100 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,400 ft

RimCanyon floor

Curves

Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches

mi 0–2mi 1–3mi 3–5

RimCanyon floor

GentleHairpins

Good to know

There's a daily state park entry fee, and the park often reaches capacity; reserve a day pass ahead, especially on weekends.
The gate is open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Heavy rain closes the trails and can close parts of Park Road 5 on the canyon floor, around the Lighthouse area.
The grade is steep with tight bends; use a low gear on the way down.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Texas Parks and Wildlife: Palo Duro Canyon alerts.

Questions about this drive

How long is the drive into Palo Duro Canyon?

Park Road 5 from the rim of Palo Duro Canyon down to the canyon floor is 5.1 miles and takes about 15 minutes, longer if you stop at the pullouts.

Is there a fee to drive into Palo Duro Canyon?

Yes. Palo Duro Canyon State Park charges a daily entry fee per adult, and children 12 and under are free. Day passes can be reserved online.

Is the road into Palo Duro Canyon steep?

Yes. Park Road 5 drops off the rim of Palo Duro Canyon on a steep, switchbacking grade to the canyon floor.

Does Park Road 5 close for rain?

Sometimes. After heavy rain, Palo Duro Canyon closes its trails and can close parts of Park Road 5 on the canyon floor; check the park's alerts page before going.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.

Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.

Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.

Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.

Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.

Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp Store Early access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 70 drives in Texas ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route