Milky Way over Palo Duro Canyon State Park

The stars at night are truly big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. I captured this image of the Milky Way rising above Palo Duro Canyon on a late Septembe...
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The stars at night are truly big and bright deep in the heart of Texas. I captured this image of the Milky Way rising above Palo Duro Canyon on a late September evening. The sun had just set and the last vestiges of sunset illuminated a low layer of wispy clouds with a wonderful golden hue. The stars and Milky Way popped through the light layer of clouds giving the setting a majestic glow. Alone in the canyon with my camera equipment, it was a glorious, peaceful setting--light wind rustling the trees, cicadas singing, and the occasional coyote howl. The scene brought to mind Georgia O'Keefe's description of Palo Duro Canyon: "It is a burning, seething cauldron, filled with dramatic light and color."

Located just outside Amarillo, Texas, Palo Duro is the 2nd largest canyon in the United States, earning the natural wonder the moniker "The Grand Canyon of Texas." The Prairie Dog Fork of the Red River carved Palo Duro from the Caprock Escarpment in West Texas. The canyon is a dramatic change in the landscape from the level, high plains of the Llano Estacado. Dramatic multi-hued cliffs, rock formations, hodoos, and caves mark the Palo Duro landscape. Members of Coronado Expedition in 1541 were the first Europeans to view the canyon. Apache Indians called Palo Duro home at the time. The US Military mapped the canyon in 1852. In 1878 Col. Charles Goodnight and wealthy Scot John Adair established the JA Ranch. Texas purchased portions of the upper canyon and established Palo Duro Canyon State Park in 1934. The natural wonder is a popular tourist attraction offering opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking.

Summer nights bring musical overtures at the Pioneer Amphitheater as guests enjoy the outdoor musical drama "Texas"--a summer staple at Palo Duro since 1966. Noted American composer Samuel Jones's Symphony No. 3 is titled "Palo Duro Canyon" and evokes the length, breadth and depth of canyon formation. Jones's work was premiered at the Pioneer Amphitheater in 1992.
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