Texas Porch

Geography

Blanco Canyon cuts through the southern edge of Floyd County

Blanco Canyon is a dramatic break in the High Plains near Floydada, carved by the White River along Floyd County's southern border.

Blanco Canyon runs along the White River in southwestern Floyd County. It stretches about 30 miles to its mouth near Crosbyton in Crosby County. At the canyon's mouth the walls reach 300 to 500 feet tall. U.S. Highway 62 crosses it south of Floydada. If you are used to the flat terrain of the High Plains, the canyon is a noticeable change in scenery.

The canyon was a key water and wood source for early settlers in the 1880s. Colonel Ranald Mackenzie set up a military camp near its mouth in 1871, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today the area includes the Plains Baptist Assembly grounds and the Floydada Country Club. The Handbook of Texas has a full entry on the canyon's history and geography.

Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Blanco Canyon

More Floyd County notes