To the Texas Panhandle. Unspoiled. Where the sky is bigger than other places. Close your eyes, hear the wind, feel the generations who came before.
The year was 1874 and a small group of buffalo hunters were repairing a broken ridgepole, when hundreds of Indians charged at dawn. Bunkered down in the saloon and general store using rifles and good ole’ west tenacity, the defenders lost only two men before the Indians gave up the fight and retreated.
Do cowboys and Indians still roam the site of this old trading post battlefield? Stand where 27 men and one woman held off a superior force of Plains Indians at Adobe Walls. You'll see.
Meet the ultimate Cowboy, Charles Goodnight, who's real-life adventures with Oliver Loving inspired Gus and Call. An an extraordinary man, legendary cattle driver, and the best known rancher in Texas, Goodnight had no concept of his own importance. It didn't matter who you were, he invited you in.
Visit the Goodnight home, beautifully crafted and lovingly restored, on its original site with spectacular views of the countryside and the nearby bison herd. The bison are descendants of the herd raised and preserved by Goodnight and his wife, Molly.
In 1876, Charles Goodnight entered Palo Duro Canyon and opened the JA Ranch. Goodnight operated the ranch until 1890 which at its peak held more than 100,000 head of cattle. Although a smaller verision of its original size, the JA Ranch remains a working ranch today.
Hike or drive to the bottom of America’s second largest canyon, in the overwhelming and beautiful Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
History was made in 2014, as cow #120 took the first steps to lead the Texas State Bison Herd into their new range within Caprock Canyons State Park. This legendary bison herd was started by famed cattleman Charles Goodnight and his wife Molly in 1878. It is one of the five foundation herds credited with saving this magnificent animal from extinction.
Hike, bike, horseback ride, or travel down the Trailway on a ranger-guided tour to the historic Clarity Tunnel, where close to a half-million Mexican free-tailed bats reside during the summer. See one of the last remaining railroad tunnels in Texas, and view the nightly bat emergence flights at one of the weekly park tours.
Ride the rim of the canyon on Charles Goodnight's original JA Ranch. Experience the beauty of this historic land from the viewpoint of a cowboy, or a cowgirl, who loves herding cattle, riding horses and the history of the west.