Wind, Bison, Bats, Oh My

This weekend I attended CALUE’s first weekend service break to Caprock Canyon. We left Friday afternoon, and arrived in Turkey, TX around 5pm. We had dinner at Hotel Turkey and spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

Saturday started off very windy and cold so that morning we met Le’Ann, one of the park rangers, and were given a tour of the canyon. For part of the tour we went on the trailway which used to be a rail spur built by Burlington North, for the Fort Worth and Denver South Plains Railway. Along the trailway we saw some cows and calves, a large bee hive on the side of one of the canyon’s cliffs, and we drove through Clarity Tunnel which is home to a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. 

Saturday started off very windy and cold so that morning we met Le’Ann, one of the park rangers, and were given a tour of the canyon. For part of the tour we went on the trailway which used to be a rail spur built by Burlington North, for the Fort Worth and Denver South Plains Railway. Along the trailway we saw some cows and calves, a large bee hive on the side of one of the canyon’s cliffs, and we drove through Clarity Tunnel which is home to a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats. 

We learned that the canyon currently has a herd of approximately 180 bison, and that this herd is the only Goodnight bison herd in Texas. We also learned that due to the efforts of Charles and Mary Goodnight this bison herd is one of five foundation herds in the United States, which has kept the species from extinction.

Overall, I enjoyed my time at Caprock Canyon and I would definitely go again if given the chance.

– Aaron Perkins