| Caprock Canyons State Park | |||||||||||||||||||
| Photo Width: | 300 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Relief: | yes | ||||||||||||||||||
| Label: | Caprock Canyons | ||||||||||||||||||
| Label Position: | bottom | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location: | Briscoe County, Texas | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nearest City: | Quitaque | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coords: | 34.4436°N -101.0522°W | ||||||||||||||||||
| Area: | 15314acres | ||||||||||||||||||
| Established: | 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Visitation Num: | 78,978 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Visitation Year: | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Visitation Ref: | [1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Governing Body: | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department | ||||||||||||||||||
| Url: | http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/caprock-canyons | ||||||||||||||||||
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Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway is a Texas state park located along the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado in Briscoe County, Texas, United States, approximately southeast of Amarillo. The state park opened in 1982 and is in size, making it the third-largest state park in Texas.
In 1993, a hiking, biking, and equestrian rail trail opened that stretches through the park through Floyd, Briscoe, and Hall counties. The trailway was created after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired 64.25miles of right-of-way from the abandoned Fort Worth and Denver Railroad's lines between Estelline and South Plains.[2] A unique feature is the 528feet Clarity Railroad Tunnel.[3]
The park is located in West Texas and has a semi-arid climate. The average January minimum temperature is and the average July maximum is . The park receives 20.4inches of precipitation annually.[2]
The area contains badlands with mesquite, cacti and junipers with tall grasses, plums, hackberries and cottonwoods in the canyons.[2]
At the urging of his wife, Charles Goodnight preserved several plains bison from those that were being slaughtered.[4] This herd became one of the genetic sources from which current bison herds descend.[5] [6] The herd was donated to the State of Texas in 1997.[7] In 2011, bison were allowed to roam throughout the park, and the Texas Legislature designated the bison herd at Caprock Canyons State Park as the official State Bison Herd of Texas.[8] The herd has minimal cattle introgression.[9] [10]
African sheep (Barbary sheep), mule deer, white-tailed deer, coyote, opossum, raccoon, bobcat, fox, porcupine, white-throated woodrat, numerous species of snakes and lizards, and over 175 species of birds including golden eagle, red-tailed hawk and turkey vulture are found within the park. Lake Theo contains bass, catfish, and rainbow trout.[2] [11] In the summer of 2012 black-tailed prairie dogs were reintroduced to a 200acres area within the park.[12]