Archeological studies indicate that the earliest known inhabitants of Palo Duro Canyon lived in the canyon from about 10,000 to 5,000 B.C. These early men hunted bison and now-extinct elephant-like mammoths that roamed the area during the Pleistocene Ice Age. Their stone weapons and artifacts have been found in the canyon. Presumably these primitive people, like those who came later, were attracted by streams and springs in the canyon, and by game that came to feed there. Rock exposed in the canyon provided material for tools and weapons.

Through the centuries, various tribes of Plains Indians, including Apache, Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Kiowa, and Comanche, made use of the canyon as a camping ground. After the arrival of the white man, the canyon became a favorite resting place for buffalo hunters and Indian traders who travelled the Plains. White men first established residence there in 1876.

The last Indian battle in Texas was fought in the canyon south of the Park. Col. Ranald Mackenzie and his raiders, on September 25, 1874, attacked a large encampment of Comanche, Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapahoe in the canyon. They destroyed about 100 lodges and 1400 horses and mules. The damage inflicted was severe and by the following spring most of the Indians were returned to the reservation in Oklahoma.

GEOLOGIC HISTORY

The age of the earth is calculated in terms of billions of years. For convenience, geologic time is divided into units, called PERIODS, of different lengths ([Figure 1]). Sediments deposited during each period and the fossilized remains of animals and plants found in these sediments give a partial record of the events and life of that period.

A nearly homogeneous (uniform composition) rock layer may be identified as a FORMATION. Formations are usually spread over a wide area like a large blanket and are stacked on top of each other with the oldest at the bottom and the youngest at the top. When viewed in the walls of the canyon, they resemble a huge layer cake and may be traced along the canyon walls.

Figure 1. GEOLOGIC MAP OF PALO DURO CANYON
[High-resolution Map]

Figure 2. Stratigraphic section at Palo Duro Canyon with Geologic Time-scale for reference.