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United States

Texas

Randall County

Capitol Peak View – Lighthouse Peak Trailhead loop from Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River

Routes

Mountain biking trails

United States

Texas

Randall County

Capitol Peak View – Lighthouse Peak Trailhead loop from Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River

Easy

3.3

(1)

riders

Capitol Peak View – Lighthouse Peak Trailhead loop from Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River

01:22

17.6km

90m

Mountain biking

Easy mountain bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 2, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

16 m

Givens, Spicer, Lowry, Paseo del Rio Trailheads

Highlight • Trail

Palo Duro Canyon is the most spectacular and scenic landscape feature in the Texas Panhandle. It was formed by millions of years of water erosion by the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River and the West Texas wind. A descent of some 800 feet to the canyon floor opens miles and miles of hiking and biking trails, horseback riding, a souvenir shop with grill, and a variety of camping & parking areas suitable for day trips, overnight tent camping, or extended stays in the largest of campers and motorhomes. The Givens trail was named after runners and volunteers who constructed the canyon's trails.

Tip by

2.18 km

Capitol Peak Trail, Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Highlight • Trail

The distinctly multi-colored peak is close to the parking area and can be viewed from here. It can be approached a little closer either along an easy multi-use loop trail that includes Capitol Mesa, or directly on an easy half-mile trail that also continues 3 miles from the road to the Lighthouse, the most famous rock formation in Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This popular trailhead for these hikes is half way along the park drive, on the west side. It has an information board and parking area, from which the wide trail heads off westwards, through bushes and over sandy ground, towards the colorful, eroded cliffs that border this side of the valley, about half a mile away. The Lighthouse trail then turns right to skirt around the base of the Capitol Mesa cliffs, mildly up and down small hills and stony washes. The vegetation thins out to a mixture of small bushes and cacti, including two species of spiny opuntia: tree cholla and pencil cholla, which has bright red berries in the fall. The path may also be used by both horses and cycles, and remains generally level and well marked, with distance signs at half mile intervals and several rest stops with some tree-shaded benches. A trail guide and map can be downloaded at tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/palo-duro-canyon

Tip by

14.5 km

Capitol Peak View

Highlight • Viewpoint

This is a beautiful view, regardless if you're a geology enthusiast or not. The resistant sandstone beds of the Quartermaster and Tecovas formations are prominently exposed, while the overlying Trujillo and Ogallala formations have eroded away. This erosion creates dramatic geological features like the hoodoos, which are visible here. Massive Trujillo sandstone also caps the mesa to the north called Timber Mesa, home to the iconic formation "Santana's Face" by the Trading Post.

Tip by

15.5 km

Lighthouse Peak Trailhead

Highlight • Trail

7 mile trail behind the backside of Capitol Peak mostly flat to the foot of the iconic Lighthouse Peak natural rock towers. Refill your water bottles at the visitor center or campground before coming out here.

Tip by

17.4 km

Paseo del Rio Trail, Prairie Dog Town Fork of Red River

Highlight • Trail

The easy Paseo del Rio Trail is flat, following the Prairie Dog Town Fork of Red River parallel to the park road.

Tip by

17.6 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

13.8 km

3.02 km

587 m

200 m

Surfaces

10.7 km

3.10 km

3.02 km

587 m

200 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Today

Sunday 23 August

40°C

22°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 17.0 km/h

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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

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Capitol Peak View – Lighthouse Peak Trailhead loop from Prairie Dog Town Fork Red River

Givens, Spicer, Lowry, Paseo del Rio Trailheads

Capitol Peak Trail, Palo Duro Canyon State Park

Capitol Peak View

Lighthouse Peak Trailhead

Paseo del Rio Trail, Prairie Dog Town Fork of Red River

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