The geography of northern Texas is dominated by the vast Great Plains, which stretch across the entire Midwest. However, contrary to popular belief, north Texas is not just a flat, barren countryside. Though much of the region does consist of level prairie, other features, such as mesas, canyons and plateaus, provide dramatic and visually stunning topographic variation.
The Great Plains of northern Texas are divided into five smaller plains. The Texas Blackland Prairies run in a narrow strip from northeast Texas all the way south to San Antonio. The Osage Plains are a large set of plains in North Central Texas, extending into Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. Farther west, the Rolling Red Plains lie in the eastern Texas panhandle and stretch into western Oklahoma. The Pecos and Staked Plains consume most of the western panhandle. Grasses are the dominant vegetation in all of these plains.
The aforementioned Staked Plains are also known as the Llano Estacado and they differ from the other North Texas plains. This plain is actually a mesa, or plateau, and marks the southern boundary of the High Plains. The Llano Estacado's elevated, uplifted surface can be viewed from a distance, rising like a table from the surrounding landscape.
The Caprock Escarpment is the name for the steep, rocky cliffs of the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado. This escarpment represents a visual geographic boundary between the two major portions of the Great Plains -- the western High Plains and the lower Central Plains to the east. The vertical drop of the Caprock Escarpment is nearly 1,000 feet in some places.
The Palo Duro Canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas. This 120-mile-long canyon lies mostly within Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It was created over millennia as a small branch of the Red River eroded the underlying rock. The canyon can reach 20 miles across in some places and in other areas the riverbed is more than 800 feet below the surrounding plain.
About two hours west of the city of Ft. Worth, the Palo Pinto Mountains look more like rolling hills. They rise to a maximum height of about 1,500 feet.
