Overview
The North Central Plains are in the Panhandle region of Texas.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 98°F; winter lows dip to about 29°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Graham)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SPS Wichita Falls Municipal Airport / Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls — 45 mi away. Directions
- LAW Lawton Fort Sill Regional Airport, Lawton — 76 mi away. Directions
- DFW Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth — 134 mi away (major hub). Directions
Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Abilene — Abilene Zoo, T&P Depot, Abilene Christian University.
- Day 2: Wichita Falls — Wichita Theatre Performing Arts Center, Sheppard Air Force Base, Historic Kell House Museum.
- Day 3: Quanah — Hardeman County Museum, Quanah Acme and Pacific Depot Museum, Quanah Memorial Park Cemetery.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Photos
Places in North Central Plains
Abilene
City / town · 42 listings
Wichita Falls
City / town · 28 listings
Quanah
City / town · 16 listings
Vernon
City / town · 13 listings
Graham
City / town · 11 listings
Caprock Canyons State Park
Park · 9 listings
Paducah
City / town · 9 listings
Childress
City / town · 7 listings
Turkey
City / town · 5 listings
Stamford
City / town · 3 listings
Cross Plains
City / town
Understand
The North Central Plains are the southeastern reaches of the Panhandle region of the state. To the north, the Red River marks the boundary with the High Plains region and Oklahoma, while the Caprock Escarpment separates it from the Llano Estacado to the west. To the east is the wetter and more wooded Cross Timbers region, and to the south and southwest the landscape rolls into the Northern Edwards Plateau.
Cities
Fort Worth is the largest city in this region and the 12th largest town in the U.S.
- Abilene -
- Childress - A convenient stopover halfway between Dallas and New Mexico.
- Cross Plains -
- Graham - With the largest historic town square in the country.
- Paducah -
- Quanah - Named after Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche war chief who fought many battles throughout the area.
- Stamford
- Turkey - Charming small Panhandle town near Caprock Canyons.
- Vernon - Historic town on the old Western Texas-Kansas Trail.
- Wichita Falls - Large regional hub near the Oklahoma border.
Other destinations
- Caprock Canyons State Park - Dramatically marking the boundary with the Llano Estacado Plateau to the west, this park has breathtaking scenery often overlooked by tourists who stick to the main interstates.
- Copper Breaks State Park - Southeast of Childress, this park has almost 2000 acres with 10 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. There are two lakes provide opportunities for swimming, boating, and fishing.
- Lake Arrowhead State Park, south east of Wichita Falls.
- Lake Kemp - Lake south of Vernon that is very popular for sport-fishing.
Get in
See
- Medicine Mounds, on private land visible from US 287 near Quanah. This series of low peaks was an important ceremonial site for the Comanche nation.
Nearby
My experience
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