Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX

Full disclosure: I haven't hiked here yet. But, I've been making a list of trails I'm going to hit within the next year and this one is pretty high up on that list. 

For those who don't know, I've accepted an internship offer down in San Antonio, TX, and will be driving down there at the end of May. Lucky for me, Texas has a ton of hiking opportunities including Palo Duro and I plan to stop and hike there on my way down to San Antonio. 

I plan to start off with the Lighthouse Trail, which is a pretty easy 5-mile hike with some fantastic views. And from what I've heard, there's a bit of rock climbing at the end of the trail which for me is great.          

Hiking in Texas will definitely be a completely different experience than anything I've done before in the Midwest or even some of the trips I've taken out West. 

While the elevation gain on this trail isn't too wild (only 531 feet over 5 miles - I've done higher elevation gains in the Ozarks), I'll have to contend with desert heat and will have to carry a lot more water than I'm used to. Also, the idea of hiking solo more than a thousand miles away from home will definitely take some getting used to! That, and the fact that there's a lot more wildlife (think snakes and the occasional bobcat and coyote) in Texas than any trails I've done in the Midwest.

Depending on how Lighthouse Trail goes, and how long I want to stay in the area on my way down to San Antonio, I might hit Lower Comanche trail. From what I've heard, this trail is a bit harder at 6 miles with an almost 800-foot elevation gain, but it looks worth it. 

I'm super excited to hike Palo Duro and will definitely have plenty of stories when I come back to Illinois at the end of the summer!