Plains Trail Region
Big Spring State Park
No. 1 Scenic Drive Big Spring, TX 79720 (432) 263-4931 Website
Enjoy the rugged beauty and shimmering sunsets of the Texas Plains. Miles and miles of short grass prairie gives way suddenly and unexpectedly to spectacular canyon vistas as you cross this 52-county region that covers approximately 50,000 square miles!
One of the last parts of the continental United States to be permanently settled, the Texas Plains have been occupied for millennia. More than 12,000 years ago, the Clovis people, the earliest known residents of North America, roamed this land hunting the ancient bison and the Columbian mammoth. In time, the Apache and Comanche nations came, followed by Spanish explorers, cowboys on the free range, and finally, homesteaders seeking opportunity in a new place.
The Plains Trail Region is a treasure trove of natural beauty and outdoor recreation. We are featuring our five stunning state parks, and the cities they are near, to celebrate Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Centennial. Together, these parks embody the rich legacy of TPWD, offering Texans and visitors alike an opportunity to connect with nature and commemorate a century of conservation and adventure. Plan a trip to these destinations as well as the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum to enjoy the TPWD Centennial exhibit through February 18, 2024.
Plains Trail Region
No. 1 Scenic Drive Big Spring, TX 79720 (432) 263-4931 Website
Plains Trail Region
Big Spring
BIG SPRING LIVING HISTORY Heritage communities like Big Spring usually go to great lengths to preserve and restore much of their historic past, a project that typically involves architecture like courthouses and…
Plains Trail Region
FM1065 Quitaque, TX 79255 (806) 455-1492 Website
Plains Trail Region
Quitaque
A TONGUE TWISTER BUT EASY ON THE EYES In 1865 Comanchero trader José Piedad Tafoya built a trading post on the site of Quitaque, now a small Texas Plains Trail community, in…
Plains Trail Region
777 Park Road 62 Quanah, TX 79252 (940) 839-4331 Website
Plains Trail Region
Quanah
Quanah was established in the 1880s as a railroad stop and named for Comanche chief Quanah Parker, son of Peta Nocona and kidnapped Anglo settler Cynthia Ann Parker. The post office captures…
Plains Trail Region
4582 FM 2836 Colorado City, TX 79512 (325) 728-3931 Website
Plains Trail Region
Colorado City
Colorado City is a Main Street City that bustles at festival time during the aptly-named Frontier Days. During the real frontier of the 1870s a ranger camp on the Colorado River gave…
Plains Trail Region
11450 Park Road 5 Canyon, TX 79015 (806) 488-2227 Website
Plains Trail Region
Canyon
CANYON CULTURE Visitors to the Texas Plains Trail city of Canyon, home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, will find a thriving environment of cultural and natural heritage. This Texas Main Street City…
Plains Trail Region
11450 Park Road 5 Pioneer Amphitheatre Canyon, TX 79015 (806) 655-2181 Website
Plains Trail Region
2503 4th Avenue Canyon, TX 79015 (806) 651-2244 Website