Lake Palo Duro Climbing

The well signed turnoff to the lake is located approximately  4 miles east of Spearman on TX Highway 15. After 9 miles the dam and the entrances to the lake are reached. Take the left (west) entrance and proceed to a self service pay station. The park user fee is $5.00 per day and although the sign is a little vague about which user groups are required to pay I recommend paying the fee and getting a permit to ensure a good relationship with the park powers that be. (*Discovered after this page was created a season recreation pass can be purchased for 50 dollars from the office on the far side of the lake and is good for 1 year.) From the pay station follow the good road down toward the lake, then it will curve around past a port-o-potty and head south toward Horse Creek Canyon. The road turns to dirt here but is passable for passenger cars when dry. Proceed south up Horse Creek, staying left where several spur roads branch off to the right (west) and reach a dead end and sharp left turn at 1.4 miles from the lake entrance.. From this turn a hundred feet will lead to a circular parking spot from which the climbing is accessed. **As of 2020 lake levels are very low, and it can be seen that the entirety of this access road lies below the high water mark of 2010. Should the lake ever fill back up then alternative access would have to be found.