A Land of Scenic Adventures
Published Sep 15, 2008
Whitetail deer are frequently sighted and occasionally hunted in some of the parklands in The High Ground region.
Nature has been kind to The High Ground of Texas, providing scenic adventure destinations from mild to wild for the throngs of people who visit each year. And visit, they do.
For reasons made apparent by the preceding photo essay, Palo Duro Canyon State Park attracts about 350,000 annual visitors who camp, hike, mountain bike and bird watch. “We are nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Texas,” says Randy Ferris, superintendent of the 26,275-acre state park. “Palo Duro is the second-largest canyon in the United States.”
Motorists in the Armstrong and Randall counties portion of the park can drive along the canyon’s floor, which is as deep as 800 feet. “They certainly can’t do that in the Grand Canyon,” Ferris notes.
Nature lovers also can view up to 40 types of mammals and dozens of bird species. “In addition, the park features a number of wild plants and trees such as prickly pear cactus, honey mesquite, juniper and yucca,” Ferris says.
SAND DUNES FAR FROM ANY SEA
Another interesting state park in The High Ground region is Monahans Sandhills, which is home to six miles of sand dunes. About 65,000 people annually visit the 3,840-acre park in Ward and Winkler counties to camp and hike as well as surf down the 70-foot-high dunes.
“We are open seven days a week throughout the entire year, and our busiest times are March through May when the weather is warm but not terribly hot,” says Glen Korth, Monahans Sandhills State Park manager. “Then from June through August, we have a drop-off simply because the surface temperature of the sand gets up to 140 degrees during the day. However, by September the visitors start returning.”
Korth says Monahans Sandhills attracts many guests who stop by to spend the evening, then head into nearby national parks the next day. “We are considered the gateway to Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Big Bend National Park,” he says. “People who visit us are true outdoor enthusiasts.”
LAKES AND WETLANDS
Other popular High Ground destinations include Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock County, Lake Allen Henry in Garza County, the 5,809-acre Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in Bailey County and the 50,000-acre Lake Meredith National Recreation Area in Hutchinson County.
“We have a 10,000-acre reservoir with bass, trout, catfish, crappie and walleye, while hunters can go after whitetail deer, mule deer, turkey, ducks and quail,” says Rozanna Pfeiffer, chief of interpretation for Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. “We have no entrance fee at the gate, and it doesn’t cost anything to camp. The only fee we have is for launching boats into the lake.”
The recreation area also is home to Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, which dates back 12,000 years to when people mined the flint to make arrowheads, tools and weapons. The old excavation sites at Alibates can be accessed only by ranger-guided hikes.
“Lake Meredith itself seems to primarily serve our local community, while the flint quarries seem to be more popular with traveling tourists,” Pfeiffer says. “Both are in the same recreation area yet attract completely different clientele. We are lucky to have both sites.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
Photo by Staff Photo
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