Texas' Hidden Canyon State Park Offers Miles Of Scenic Trails Where Majestic Bison Roam Across Plains

You'll have to drive nearly five hours from Dallas to see one of Texas's most incredible parks — but it's worth the price of a rental car at the Dallas Fort Worth airport (even if you have to walk 2 miles from your gate to get to the parking lot). Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway is a remote escape into nature, with plains, canyons, and a 1,000-foot-high rock cliff. Along the way, you can watch herds of bison grazing in the morning, spend all day hiking the immense trail system, wait at the entrance of an abandoned railway tunnel at sunset to see a cloud of bats emerge, and then admire the impressively bright stars in the night sky above.

If you're hoping to spend the night in the park and get an early start hiking, there are plenty of campsites available to choose from, with prices between $10 and $22 per night, at the time of this writing. If you're planning to visit Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, expect to pay $5 at the entrance. If you have any children under the age of 13 coming with you, they get in for free.

If you're looking for a relatively easy hike to explore Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway and see some of the incredible wildlife that lives in the park, the Caprock Canyon Rim Trail (Spur Loop) might be the best option. It only takes most hikers a little over 30 minutes to complete the loop and make it back to the trailhead. The landscapes visible from the trail are definitely worth it on their own, but it should also be considered one of the best spots for birdwatching. Most excitingly of all, it's easy to see bison along the way that could even be blocking the trail.

For more of a challenge, consider Eagle Point Trail. This route takes over 1.5 hours and traverses a natural bridge to see the canyon. There may be bison along this trail, too. If you're looking to really test your skills, try the Haynes Ridge Overlook Trail. It takes most hikers around 2.5 hours to go up an impressive 600 feet and look down on the park from above. Just be aware that this is difficult, similar to the national park trails that are only for experienced hikers.

There are plenty of animals that make their home inside Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, and as you explore its miles and miles of hiking trails, you are very likely to see some of them. There are some common animals, like coyotes and deer, within the park, but if you're lucky, you might get to spot some of its most fascinating inhabitants, including bobcats, roadrunners, and antelopes. Maybe rarest of all are the shockingly large birds of prey, golden eagles.

If you explore the trails in Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway, you are sure to see plenty of wildlife along the way. The bison herd that lives in this park roams free, so you could find the animals almost anywhere within its borders. During warm weather months, your best bet might be along the shores of Lake Theo, where they can sometimes be found on the beach. One of the most interesting wildlife-watching spots is Clarity Tunnel, which dates back to the 1920s. While it's no longer used by trains, the abandoned tunnel is far from unoccupied. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats live inside. If you arrive as darkness falls and the last light of sunset fades, you'll be able to see them take flight.