MERUS Adventure Park — Hotel in Canyon

Merus offers off-roading, mountain biking, and hiking. The green beginner off-roading trails are plenty thrilling in a stock 4x4 truck! Don’t miss the Hetz Bluff view point and the short walking path there. If you have nerves of steel and a 4x4 vehicle, the canyon “drop in” on the Merus 101 green trail is a must do. We also tried two hiking trails (Lone Wolf, Boulder Fields) and one mixed use bike/hike trail (Camp Point). All three of the trails are overgrown and difficult to navigate. The Boulder Fields hike was the least overgrown of the three. Camp Point bike trail has the more breathtaking views. Don't wear shorts on the hike/bike trails because of the prickly overgrowth. There was one point on the Camp Point Bike Trail that we had to carry our dogs to get them over a long stretch of almost knee high prickly plants. We found the GPS maps on Gaia and OnX to be essential to make sure we stayed on the trail because many times there wasn’t an obvious clear path. On a positive note, the park wasn’t crowded at all during winter break. We didn’t encounter any other guests on the hike/bike trails and only occasionally encountered other vehicles off-roading.

Overall this was a good experience, but there are some caveats to discuss especially if you plan to bring your RV. First, they list their water source as non-potable (unfit for drinking, bathing, washing dishes), so be sure to have the kind of fancy water filter at the spigot that converts a raw water source to potable water. This wasn’t clear on the website, but was noted in the confirmation email. Second, we needed 3 inches on the passenger side to level the rig which put our entry stairs high in the air which was a problem for our senior dog. Third, the utilities are built up on cement pad above the ground level which made it a little tricky to get enough gravity drop for easy tank emptying. Fourth, the views vary between RV sites and cabins. They are currently building cabins between the FHU RV sites and the canyon which obstruct the view of the canyon for the RVers. Site 1 is where the camp host is located. If you are noise sensitive, you should know that they leave their barking dogs outside while they are away. Sites 2 and 3 currently have beautiful views. I don’t know if they plan to build more cabins though. Sites 4 & 5 would have a nice view from a rear window if your rig has one, but the side view is partially obstructed. Site 6 could have an excellent view if the storage container that is currently there is removed after the construction of the cabins is completed. This construction is disappointing because the RV sites are spaced well and are offset such that the views were probably grand from every site prior to the new cabins. They call these new cabins the Sunrise Rim Cabins, and they will have great views when they are completed. The Lookout Bungalow has a front porch and spectacular views. The pull through boondocking RV sites have a fair view, but it’s not as majestic because they look over a more narrow part of the canyon. The back-in boondocking sites on the East end of the field have a better vantage point. I do not recommend RV camping without AC in the Texas heat (can span from April - Oct). The website notes that electric only RV sites are coming soon. It’s not clear where they plan to put the electric only RV sites, but perhaps that will be a viable option for running air conditioning. The Arch cabins are near the boondocking area and share the less impressive vantage point. When we were on the Camp Point trail, we walked up to site 123 (intended for tent camping, overlanding trailers or car camping). It was gorgeous up there. Walking to Camp Point Site 123 may have been my favorite moment of the stay. If you plan to tent camp in one of these amazing remote locations, keep in mind that West Texas is known for its wind and dust storms.

The staff was very accommodating, friendly and helpful. They even gave us a late check out when we experienced some RV troubles and...

Edited to add Update: I have camped in many different places literally around the world. When I tell you that Merus holds some of the best camping and 4x4ing I’ve ever been around, I truly mean it. Eagle Point holds my second favorite campsite ever (second only to the base of the Alps, sorry Amarillo). The camp sites and bathrooms are the absolute cleanest, the people are by far the best I’ve ever worked with, and you can tell the community out there is unmatched. I’ve become a lifelong fan of Palo because of Merus, and I’m converting every single person I talk to along the way. I have a family member who hasn’t camped in 25+ years and told me it was one of the best weekends of his life.

Book the Merus trip, I assure you it will be the best weekend of your life.

Original: For 6 months I planned to visit Palo Duro. A month or two before the trip, I went to the state park website to book a camp site and they were totally sold out. Instead of scraping the trip, I came across MERUS on social media. I have a stock 4runner and was weary about its ability and if I should bring it. I gave them a call and the most pleasant woman assured me I would be great, answered every question I had, and walked me through all the things I need to prep for. Remote camping, fire extinguisher, radio, trail ratings, etc.

When we arrived, Megan (who happened to be the woman on the phone) greeted my team and made us feel right at home and worthy of being at the park. YOU DONT SEE THAT AT 4X4 PARKS. She showed us the Gaia app, walked us through how to use our new radio, and moved us to a camp location that was 1000% times better then what we had had booked.

The trails are fantastic. From beginner to the most advanced, there is plenty for everyone at MERUS. My very stock 4runner took on every green with ease, and Megan nudged us into exploring some blue trails. We saw landscaped that looked like mars, explored a cave, and got more of a glimpse of Palo Duro than any state park could offer. As one employee said "The state park is great, but we have .01% of the concrete then they have and we intend to keep it that way."

All in all, I cannot recommend MERUS Adventure Park, their staff, and Palo Duro Canyon enough stars. Before we left, we were already planning a fall trip as well as another April trip for next year. Put it on your calendar and...

This place is a hidden gem, and half of me hopes it stays that way! The office staff is AMAZING, treat you like family, and are incredibly helpful. We arrived at dark and they actually stayed up front after hours to help us get our camper backed into our spot because they knew it would be difficult.

Our campsite was pristine, had glorious views, and was so incredibly quiet. They kept talking about how close another site was but we honestly couldn't see it from where we were. The night sky was a sight to behold and I wish everyone got to experience watching a moonrise over the canyon wall the way we did.

The off-road trails are everything from mild to wild and are well marked with signs/difficulty level so you know in advance what you're getting yourself into. That's a beautiful departure from what we've experienced at other parks.

You can tell the owners, staff, and park volunteers care deeply about the land as they make it very clear it's a pack in pack out Leave No Trace place. I didn't see one speck of trash anywhere in the park in our 3 days of exploring it which, if you've been to other ORV parks, you know is an accomplishment.

They are responsible with the ecosystem there and it shows. They close trails if conditions would allow too much damage to occur, and they don't allow side by sides. As a result, it was quiet on the trails which only added to our enjoyment of the park. It seems that they are constantly running the trails and changing ratings as the conditions change, too, which is much appreciated.

We had a guided ride on Saturday and Sunday and the volunteers who did it were absolutely incredible. They were full of knowledge of the area and loved to share that with all of us. You can tell they are as invested in the park as the folks who own it - they are a family.

We were excited to go and knew it would be beautiful, but we were absolutely blown away. We're already discussing a membership purchase so we can go back and enjoy it, and the perks of membership, anytime we want! 10/10...