Inside the city limits of El Paso sits the largest urban park in the country, Franklin Mountains State Park. Compared to Central Park’s 843 acres in New York City, Franklin Mountains State Park is mammoth in size, stretching across 24,000 acres of beautifully rugged terrain. At this popular state park, you can find abundant wildlife, magnificent scenery, and a wide range of outdoor recreational activities.
This West Texas state park is an adventure-lover’s dream. Here, you will find over 100 miles of hiking trails that intertwine around the park. The trails are just as well suited for a rugged back country adventure as they are for a short hike with the kids. Many of the trails at the park are designated for mountain biking, giving biking adventurists with ample opportunity to explore the wilderness on two wheels. Visitors to Franklin Mountains State Park also enjoy rock climbing at Sneed’s Corey on the northeastern section of the park and McKelligon Canyon. Throughout the park, at its many picnic areas, along the trails, and at marked areas along the roads, you will find amazing sightseeing opportunities and scenic overlooks.
Franklin Mountains State Park is the perfect destination for camping in West Texas. The park offers five RV sites, as well as a limited number of primitive tent sites without water or electricity. While ground fires are not permitted, picnic tables are available at the campsites and at designated picnic areas throughout the park.
As you explore the park, you are likely to stumble across signs of the park’s rich history. For hundreds of years, the lands where the park now sits have been inhabited and traveled across by traders, native tribes, religious and military people, and countless others. These many inhabitants and visitors to the land left their mark over the years, and many of the signs of their presence are still visible today. The park features historic pictographs, deep mortar pits, and other unique finds scattered across the lands.
You are also likely to catch a glimpse of some of the many wild animal species that call Franklin Mountains State Park home. These animals include mule deer, fox, cougars, Golden Eagles, owls, bats, and more. The vegetation at the park is equally as interesting and varied, and includes a range of yucca, cacti, ocotillo, and others.
Take some time to explore the abundant outdoor recreation, rich history, rugged natural beauty of West Texas with some time at Franklin Mountains State Park.
