Caprock Canyons State Park, Quitaque, Texas - What a Gem!

We had an easy, scenic drive to Caprock Canyons State Park in Quitaque, Texas.  We passed sprawling ranches including the Four Sixes (6666), which spans more than ¼ million acres through 3 Texas counties and was shown within the series, Yellowstone and Landman.  Grazing in the expanse of open range, the cattle looked like tiny boulders dotting the land. We also noticed ginormous solar farms.

 

Our commute along secondary roads brought us through tiny towns, not even blips on the radar.  For example, Roaring Springs, population 228.  Its cemetery housed more residents than that!  Or Turkey, population 317, from where Bob Wells, the King of Western Swing, hailed.  But these small towns boast some very cool nostalgic Roadside America attractions.  

An 84-foot-tall steel derrick sits upon this gas station in Matador, Texas, circa 1939.

Statues of turkeys don the streets in Turkey, Texas.

Quanah Parker, famed Comanche chief, and his warriors once grazed horses near the town of Turkey along nearby Turkey Creek. 

The town of Turkey was home to the first Phillips 66 gas station in Texas, circa 1928.

Sadly, the downtown area of Quitaque (population 342), the gateway to Caprock Canyons State Park, consists mostly of unoccupied buildings. Though Caprock Canyons State Park is in a remote, unpopulated area, it is, surprisingly, a popular destination (we saw more guests here than in the prior 2 Parks we stayed in combined.)  It didn’t take me long to determine why.  Caprock Canyons offers gorgeous panoramas, terrific hiking, geocaching (we logged several), large and private campsites for RVs, tents, and even walk-out (1+ miles) primitive camping where you are embraced by the red rocks and the heavenly skies.  Heck, you can even bring your horse and camp in a specifically-designated equestrian area.  Most importantly, the Park provides a wonderful opportunity to view wildlife.  Forget going to crowded Yellowstone or other National Parks.  Come to Caprock Canyons to view the official bison herd of Texas that roams freely on the prairie.  Or watch the antics of the black-tailed prairie dogs that have established colonies here.  Mule deer, roadrunners, and an assortment of avian friends also call the Park “home”.

 

Best of all for us is the Park’s affordability.  With our Texas State Park Pass, day-use fees were waived.  We met the minimum 2-night stay, so our discounted rate for a water/30-amp electric site averaged $14.75/night.   Whoo Hoo!  How’s that for this Rambling RV Rat saving some cheddar!

Always nice to meet fellow rodentia along my travels.

We went hiking right away along the 2-mile Eagle Point Trail and took in some phenomenal views, including a beautiful sunset.  Good thing we did this upon arrival, because the following day brought us intermittent thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hail, which made for some cool photo ops.  But the weather didn’t stop us from driving to the various points of interest within the Park.

Viewing Eagle Point Trail from afar.

Trekking along Eagle Point Trail.

The white "veins" within the rock formation are actually gypsum deposits.

We saw this sculpture near the amphitheater before we saw any real buffalo.

Sunset view near the black-tailed prairie dog colonies.  Eye exam time:  Can you spot any prairie dogs in this photo?

I love this photo!  

Some horrific storms were brewing again later in the day. In fact, the Park advised everyone to head to the bathroom buildings for shelter.  Fortunately, we were spared the heavy winds/most of the hail/tornadoes predicted.  

Barely visible, but a rainbow appeared after the storm.

Caprock Canyons State Park is truly a gem.  It has unparalleled examples of geology, botany, ethology, and history to keep the mind stimulated and engaged.  It easily earns a 5-cheese award from this Rambling RV Rat.

 

After the prior night’s storms, we had concerns about our next overnight stay through Harvest Hosts.   Some of the areas we would be traveling through and to experienced 100 mph winds and over 10” of rain.   And after reading reviews and seeing photos of the access road, we cancelled our Harvest Hosts (HH) reservation at Jericho Ghost Town in Clarendon, Texas.  Parking was to be in a “grass field”, and we didn’t want a repeat of the muddy mess we experienced at Horizon Ranch, Limited in Jourdanton, Texas.  Instead, we stayed at a HH about ½ hour further North of Clarendon, The Den at Route 66 in Groom, Texas.  The Den is a slightly upscale convenience store that sells signature coffees and specialty non-alcoholic drinks.  It offers Hunts Brothers pizza, sandwiches, and a daily meal special, which were homemade tamales on the day we arrived (Dad and I can attest that they were d-lish-us).  The Den has a cute eat-in area with a cozy cottage/shabby chic vibe.  It is conveniently located right off I-40 and on Old Route 66.  Its parking lot had some big puddles, but we didn’t need to worry about getting stuck in mud. And, be still my heart:  We had such an excellent cell signal with Verizon, we didn't need to set up Starlink!  That, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle!

Interior of The Den at Route 66.

I call it an upscale convenience store 'cause The Den even sells artwork!

To get our steps in, we walked 4+ miles round trip to Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries, a beautiful and spiritual complex with sculptures depicting the last days of Jesus and a huge metal cross that can be seen miles away.  After chatting with the pleasant gift shop attendee, Mom learned that overnight RV parking in their huge lot is permitted.  You can express your appreciation to the Ministries for their generosity by leaving a donation in the collection boxes found outside the gift shop or at the entrance kiosk.  This is a perfect boondocking alternative (and one for which we would have opted had we known about it previously), especially for those who have no membership to Harvest Hosts 

 

Well, time for me to get to the dinner table before my parents eat all the freshly-made chicken biryani we purchased from the Indian Star Restaurant located next door to The Den.  I’ll talk to you again soon!