Prairie Dog Town in Lubbock is a busy metropolis. The cute little critters scurry about from mound to mound, stand on their hind legs while munching a grasshopper, and, if you’re lucky, throw up their front paws in a burst of barking to warn the others that you’re near.
Once hunted to near extinction, the black-tailed prairie dog has made a remarkable comeback. Since 1935, they have had a preserve of their own and have been ambassadors for the city. Cousins to ground squirrels, the boisterous, rabbit-sized animals are native to the Great Plains and get their name from their distinctive high-pitched bark.
Despite their bad reputation with farmers and ranchers, prairie dogs are vital to the area’s ecosystem. Their burrow system lets moisture into the soil and provides homes for other creatures like the burrowing owl. Eagles, hawks, and foxes rely on the prairie dogs for the occasional meal.
On a high point in Mackenzie Park overlooking the beginnings of Yellow House River, the colony is a nice place to rest when passing through the Hub City. The low rock wall enclosure and covered pavilion provide places for a picnic with restrooms at the nearby ball fields.
Prairie Dog Town is easily accessible from I-27/U.S. 87 in the northeast corner of Lubbock. There is no fee to visit the park from dawn to dusk. Also in the area are Meadowlands Golf Club, Joyland Amusement Park, the American Wind Power Museum, and the American Museum of Agriculture.
1,233rd a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in March 13 • 2015.
