Palo Duro Creek flows through western Deaf Smith County and into central Randall County, covering approximately 45 miles before joining with Tierra Blanca Creek near Canyon to form the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River. This stream begins on the level surface of the Llano Estacado and transitions into Palo Duro Canyon, where it's fed by desert springs and groundwater sources. The upper portion of the creek was historically part of the XIT Ranch's Escarbada Division. The creek flows through flat to rolling terrain with local escarpments, and its banks are characterized by hardwood forest, brush, and grasses covering mostly deep, fine sandy loams. In western Randall County, the stream is dammed to form Bivins Lake, a main water source for the city of Amarillo. Below Lake Tanglewood in the canyon bottom, anglers can find productive fishing spots.