If you like hiking and mountain biking on rugged terrain, you’ll love to explore Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso.
Largest Urban Park in the U.S.
Franklin Mountains State Park is completely within the El Paso City limits and is the largest urban park in the United States. The park boasts a diverse ecosystem of birds, reptiles, and mammals. Birders find the park an excellent bird-watching area with more than 100 species of birds that live or visit the area.
Native Americans lived in the area for nearly 12,000 years, hunting animals and harvesting plants for food and medicine. Their stories are illustrated in the pictographs and petroglyphs on rock walls and boulders.
Concerned citizens formed the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition after developers started building roads in the mountains in the 1970s. The organization’s advocacy led to the passage of a bill that gave the Franklin Mountains to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which acquired the property in 1981 and opened the park in 1987.
Only limited development has been done within the park, which has few paved roads. The headquarters are in McKelligon Canyon.
With elevations from around 4,000 feet to over 7,000 feet, you’ll find habitats that house diverse plants and animals. Desert grassland and creosote bush are common in the lowlands, while in the peaks you’ll see dense shrubs and trees. Chihuahuan Desert vegetation is the most prolific in the park.
Hiking, Biking, and Rock Climbing
The park has more than 100 miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking within nearly 27,000 acres in the high-desert mountains. If you head out on the trails, plan for rugged desert terrain. Park officials urge hikers and cyclists to carry plenty of water, bring cell phones, wear quality shoes, dress appropriately for the weather, and travel with another person. GeoBetty Tours provides guided hiking and mountain biking tours in the park. The park also offers scheduled public hikes.
You’ll see some wildlife on your hike, such as mule deer, coyotes, and squirrels, as well as red-spotted toads, eastern collared lizards, and gopher snakes.
You’ll also view plenty of birds. Two Great Texas Wildlife Trails are the El Paso Uplands Loop, where scaled quail, mourning doves, and white-winged doves are often seen, and El Paso Rio, where more than 200 species of birds have been recorded.
Rock climbers should climb in the designated areas in McKelligon Canyon or Sneed’s Cory in the Tom Mays Unit.
Photography
If you want to take photos, you’ll have stunning opportunities, especially if you take the trail to North Franklin Peak. It’s a steep climb, but you’ll be rewarded with the best views in the region from the highest peak in El Paso at over 7,000 feet above sea level.
Camping
You can camp in the Tom Mays Unit. Walk to one of the 14 tent sites or park your vehicle at one of the five RV sites. Group campsites are available. Campsites don’t have water or electricity, so you’ll need to bring water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning up.
You don’t have to leave El Paso to escape to the wilderness. Just head to Franklin Mountains State Park.
Image via uıɐɾ ʞ ʇɐɯɐs | Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0