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El Paso’s beloved Franklin Mountains State Park unfolds right in the middle of the city. Mountain bikers rave about its fast, technical single track, including the Crazy Cat trails; hikers marvel in this 37-mile-square oasis surrounded by the city; rock climbers rope up to tackle challenging routes; photographers wait for the beautiful glow; and families enjoy spending time outdoors together picnicking.
There are two hiking trails in the park, beginning at Loop 375 and Trans-Mountain Road. More trails are being developed, creating more than 100 miles to explore. Rock climbing was recently permitted in McKelligon Canyon. In the Tom Mays Unit, there are few primitive tent sites for those who would like to sleep under bright Texas stars. Five RV sites have also been added. If you want to learn more about the state park’s history, take a ranger-led tour conducted on the first and third weekends of every month. Call the park office at (915) 566-6441 for camping spot and tour reservations.
If you’d like to rise above it all, take the Wyler Aerial Tramway to the top of 5,632-foot Ranger Peak in the Franklins. During the four-minute-long trip, the gondola operator describes the wildlife and geology of the Franklins. Take your camera — even if the view from the top is unforgettable.
Hueco Tanks State Historic Site is located 32 miles northeast of El Paso, and 12,000 years in the past. Spear points from the Folsom People have been found here that date to the ice age. Later, in about the 13th century, the Jornado Mogollon people would live here. This site, with its life-giving huecos, or depressions, that hold rainwater in this arid climate, has attracted people and animals for millennia. Native Americans here left pictographs, or rock paintings, thought to mark this place as very spiritual and important in nature. Visitation is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To make reservations to visit, call (512) 389-8900. Call the park at (915) 857-1135 for camping and ranger-lead tours of pictographs. Astronomy, birdwatching and other organized activities are available in the 860-acre park, call for details.
About 110 miles east of El Paso on U.S. 62, Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers a hiker’s paradise. This area is the world’s finest example of a fossilized reef and West Texas’ only designated wilderness area. It also contains Texas’ highest peak, 8,749-foot Guadalupe Peak. More than 80 miles of trails travel through woodland canyons and rugged mountainsides. Fossils from the Permian Age abound, remnants of the area’s ocean past. Pictographs left by Native Americans and the ruins of Old West stagecoach stops speak of the human history of this storied region.
Only 56 miles northeast of the Guadalupe Mountain National Park is Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. With geology similar to the once-ocean Guadalupe Mountains, sulfuric acid has dissolved away limestone at Carlsbad for eons, creating one of the largest cave systems in the world. Take a self-guided tour of the main cavern, or sign up for a claustrophobic-inducing, ranger-lead tour for a truly wild experience. Camping and backcountry hiking above ground in the Chihuahuan desert are also available.
So after you’ve sampled El Paso’s vibrant city life, lace your boots and discover its quiet, vast outdoor possibilities. The region’s open spaces have a rich human and natural history well worth exploring under El Paso’s big sky.
