Franklin Mountains State Park

You can make it to the top of the mountain into the cave with a good pair of trekking poles. Please don't be like me and not have any balancing poles with you because you might struggle as much as I did getting to the top since the terrain is rocky with some loose rocks. So it can be pretty challenging, but the incline varies from steep slope to flat. Once inside the cave, there wasn't much to see. I was hoping for some form of crystals or even stone to rub my hands across. The ground was dusty. I visited during the week, so there wasn't much of a crowd. When I finally made it to the top, the views were breathtaking. The sight oversees El Paso as a city. The park ranger shop is large and clean. The upkeep at this state park is very good. The restrooms are located behind the park shop and are clean as well. I love this park and cannot wait to come back.

Franklin Mountains State Park was beautiful! They lie about the moderate hike lol. Whew, some were quite challenging like to the Aztec Caves and Mundy's Gap. Camping here was fine but you are in a wind tunnel so make sure you have solid stakes in the ground for your tent. No showers and only an eco toilet at the campsite. Beautiful spot to see the sunset. Mundy's Gap would be the spot to watch the sunrise but a steep hike is tough with no light. The trails aren't the most clearly marked. Go check out Franklin Mountains.

This park has changed A LOT since I was last here, maybe 10 yrs ago. When I first visited, some 30 yrs ago, it was free. Then they charged $3 for vehicle during certain times of the year. Then $5/vehicle... still, it was reasonable enough. There is a nice visitor shop now, and another bldg that we didn't go into. I heard that there are restrooms in the back, but we didn't use either. It was very crowded the day that we went (1st weekend of Spring), but people were not particularly rude, as you often find in crowds. There's SO many different trails, and now they have even more, that go some distance beyond the parking area to the North. I wish I could come here more often, but not living in town, and also having to pay the fee every time (the yearly pass is $70 for one person), is a bit much. Also, charging for each person is just stupid. It should be a charge for each car, not each person. It's not a zoo. THE worst part was that they closed the cross road to get in. You go up Transmountain to the East and there used to be a turn off to turn left into the park. The signs are even still there, pointing to the turn off, but it is blocked off. So we had to drive up further to another turn off (on the left) and drive back, to get there. With all the new construction in the area, and roads going under Transmountain, Transmountain itself becoming more like a Highway. You would think that they would have a righthand turn off going under XMtn. And simply get rid of the dangerous left turn outs. So, the whole thing is sort of a mess, but the park itself is a decent place to hike into the mtns without landing on someone's private property.

Just a fantastic state park. The visitor center was brand new and spectacular. Really fit in well and will season wonderfully. Lots of picnic spots and a few camping, but the trailhead parking seemed too small.

Absolutely gorgeous mountain range. They offer primitive camping, hiking, biking, and more! There's a lot of little secret spots like abandoned mine shafts and some really cool history and legends! I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent here. It was nice to see the sunset in a semi secluded area away from the city. The nice breeze on a summer night just makes the ambiance of looking into the distance that much better.

Wanted to try out my new satellite phone & survival gear so when the apocalypse happens I will be ready! Livin off the land, beef jerky, canned beans & no stupid smart phones lol Pack your apocalypse camping gear and head to the Sierras de los Mansos! Arrrrrr! AKA "Franklin Mountains" of Texas. A small mountain range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico over­looking the majestic Rio Grande. AKA the Paso del Norte (Pass of the North). Paso del Norte starts in Mexico, includes North Franklin Mountain, which rises to 7,192 feet in elevation. Breathtaking views & just 15 minutes from downtown El Paso you can explore 27,000 acres, about 40 square miles of very dry high desert mountains. Man! Life is full of snakes here lol The Sierras de los Mansos rise high above El Paso. On both sides of the Franklin Mountains are yuge dry desert basin areas. To the west you will see Mesilla Basin or Mesilla Bolson. "Bolson" is Spanish for "purse." To the east of the Sierras is the Hueco Basin or Hueco "purse." One of the largest urban parks in America, with excellent hiking, it holds as many adventures as it does secrets. Over 100 miles of trails, The Aztec caves, the mining caves, the restricted areas of McGregor Range & the spectacular "Round top" mountain range at the western end of the Sierra Blanca area near the town of Sierra Blanca. This area includes Finlay Mountains, Triple Hill & Sierra Blanca quadrangles. For me the most interesting thing about Round Top Mountain in Texas, is it is known for containing deposits of beryllium and it also contains the largest deposit of heavy rare-earth elements in the United States, over 1 billion tons! If you haven't realized yet, these rare earth elements contained in the mountain are used to build wind farms, energy & defense applications as well as electronic devices & lasers. 25 years ago no one cared. Today, it's a global takeover to get them. Sittin Indian legged on top of these Texas mountains I got to thinking about what life is all about lately. And I had an Epiphany. Afghanistan, about the size of Texas, is also loaded with minerals deposited by the violent collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia. So I researched it. U.S. first drove the Taliban from power in the country in 2004 bc Afghanistan, has the richest deposit of minerals in the ENTIRE world, valued at nearly $1 trillion. Scientist also say, "Round Top hosts 16 of the 17 rare earths, as well as industrial minerals including lithium, beryllium, and uranium. In addition to the rare earths and scandium, the Round Top project contains 11 of the 35 non-rare earth minerals deemed "critical to U.S. national security and the economy" by the U.S. Department of the Interior."What a revelation! The other amazing thing I found was Sierra Blanca is a must visit, a super cool little town, it has the only adobe courthouse in Texas. How adorable! It's worth a visit before it all gets wrecked by the globalist from mining all the rare earth elements for the next stupid smart phone. Get a sat phone. Save the mountains. Highly recommend.

I used to hate this mountain, because when I was stationed here, we had to run up and down it almost weekly on Friday mornings. It was BRUTAL. It's absolutely beautiful for sure and a great place to visit, but for a workout... unless you want to die... just no.

Franklin Mountains State Park doesn't get all that many visitors, because there isn't a whole lot to see here.To be fair, it's OK for hiking, and there are some picnic tables if you feel so inclined.I'm not really sure why the city planners put a park here - maybe they were trying to protect the land it's on from being developed? I probably won't lose a lot of sleep over this question ;-)

I really enjoyed this state park! I would have like to have had more time to really explore all the trails they have. They have a trail for every fitness level. There are biking trails, cookout areas, a ton of areas to set up for picnics. It's a fun place to explore for a park fee of only $5

A staple of El Paso, Texas this is definitely a site worth visiting. Whether it's a simple hike or you're an avid outdoors fanatic who craves adventure this State Park has it all. I love the views and being here during a sunset or sunrise is breathtaking.Make sure to wear appropriate shoes and plan accordingly aka bring sunscreen and water during the summertime. If you're a tad lazy then just go Transmountain to catch a small glimpse into the park.