Climbing Near Liberal, Kansas

A small oasis of climbable rock accessible to the public in the otherwise flat and privately owned expanses of the northern Panhandle. Not to be confused with the more well known Palo Duro Canyon which is located 2 hours south, the Panhandle's "other" Palo Duro Creek and it's tributary Horse Creek have carved out a handful of canyons in the limestone caprock resulting in small stashes of boulders, caves, and bluffs. Bouldering is the name of the game here as most of the faces are 15 feet tall or less. The limestone varies greatly in quality from bullet hard to crumbly and sandy and like a lot of limestone some of the holds tend to be on the sharp side. On the flip side it is highly featured with crimps, pockets, knobs, and edges that provide plenty of problems and the texture lets sticky rubber stick like glue. Development here is pretty recent so a large number of projects remain to be climbed. Like most areas in the southwest the best weather conditions are found in late fall through early spring. Winters are typically cold and dry while summers are very hot and in wetter years the canyons can feel like a sauna. The major hazards are the usual insects and rattlesnakes which are typically not an issue Dec-March. 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.

This is an inconspicuous looking outcrop looming above the road leading to the previously developed sectors. The wall is taller than it appears from below and holds a number of lines. The benign looking overhang at the point of the bluff is in reality a 20+ foot tall highball project. As per usual for the entire area the rock quality is mixed ranging from ugly choss to some smooth rock with bullet crimps. Roadrunners are frequently spotted in this area thus the name. After passing the lake entrance and dropping into Horse Creek Canyon proceed up the same road leading to the Bike Trail Area parking. About halfway there a large side canyon comes in from the east (left). Roadrunner Rock is located on the north side of the drainage and is unmistakeable from the road. Park by a line of T posts and follow a faint trail up the steep hill.

Despite the name this boulder is somewhat of a hidden gem located in a beautiful cul-de-sac well away from the main concentration of boulders. Unfortunately, it features a higher amount of the kind of dirty, crumbly rock that's a hallmark of Texas Panhandle limestone than most of the other boulders here. Even so, it's solid enough to climb and the block is big enough to provide multiple lines. This one is located in a side drainage well to the northeast of the other boulders. Where the bike trail forks, take the right (east) branch and hike north for a few hundred yards as the trail undulates above the streambed. Where the trail makes a right turn and begins to climb up out of the canyon follow the trail up the hill about 50 yards to a small hump. From here exit the trail to the left (north) and hike down and across a grassy area toward the streambed. Look for a flat slab of rock on the opposite bank and cross the drainage there. Once across hike straight (north) up the hill for about 20 yards to intersect a faint game trail. Make a right (east) turn and follow the game trail for about 30-40 yards to arrive at the Choss Boulder which is hidden in a grove of Juniper trees. An alternate and shorter approach takes a faint trail that leaves the bike trail about 50 yards after the bridge and heads east across the valley next to a grove of Soapberry trees thus linking the 2 branches of the trail.