Buffalo Springs Lake – Art on the Land

Visited on site: [7/19/2025]

Springs Beneath the Bluffs

Buffalo Springs Lake sits in a quiet pocket of the South Plains — fed by natural springs, tucked beside Yellow House Canyon, and surrounded by stories. Before it was a weekend destination, it was survival ground for animals, people, and tribes on the move.

Comanche Trail & Hidden Movement

The springs and canyon were used by the Comanche as a travel corridor — a sheltered route through the Llano Estacado. It connected camps, supply points, and escape routes during a time when mobility meant survival. Buffalo came here. So did the cavalry. So did war parties.

Hostages & Negotiation Ground

Near this area, during the height of Comanche power and later during the military campaigns, negotiations were known to take place — including the return of hostages taken in raids. This was a place where conflict met conversation. Lives were exchanged. Tension gave way to tense peace — if only briefly.

Artist’s Reflection

The water still runs here,
clear and steady beneath the bluff.

I painted as the wind cut through canyon walls
and imagined the moment — a child returned, a mother held again,
a quiet nod across a dangerous divide.

The land held it all.
It still does.