Hueco Tanks State Historic Site

Who says there's nothing to see in El Paso? People who have never set foot into a non-tourist-trappy destination, that's who.Even without stunning and unique places like Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands which are an easy day trip, El Paso boasts this gem called Hueco Tanks right in the heart of the city. We likely wouldn't have gotten much out of it without our tour guide Eddie, a local volunteer. His knowledge of the site - no, his knowledge of EVERYTHING under the sun including El Paso, Texas, history, geology, archaeology, linguistics, you name it - was mind-blowing. His enthusiasm for story-telling as well as his physical stamina were unparalleled. He took our group that included ages from 11 to 80, through a challenging path of exploration by means of tunnels, chutes, crevices, chasms, and bridges, keeping a good eye on our safety, while constantly engaging us with cool facts and explanations.We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the table right outside the Escontrias ranch house. The staff is nonbureaucratic and friendly and accommodating.Highly recommend this place along with the volunteer guided tour. To clarify: you should request the VOLUNTEER tour, not the commercial ones. I have no idea how those are but we are sure they can't be any better, despite costing way more. The volunteer tour was only $7 per person - plus whatever you decide to tip.

It's undeniable that Hueco Tanks is a beautiful and sacred State Park. It's well cared for and the rangers and those that visit take its beauty and preservation seriously. It's a perfect destination for climbers. Be sure to make reservations in advance and follow all the protocol, and all should be smooth! My only complaint is the lady that was in the office every morning when we checked in. She was very short and rude. It felt like checking into a doctor's office instead of an amazing state park. I thought the first morning was a one off, but her attitude was consistent. I hope she's able to open up and appreciate the beauty!

Great place to camp and listen to the birds!! Watched a video upon arrival which was cool. Good vibes y'all!!

Hueco Tanks State Park (pronounced like Waco) is a small start park outside El Paso and it was so much fun! The state park does not take reservations through the state park website. You need to call. Only a small number of people are allowed in the park at a time. I had to wait about 15 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, so not bad. I'd recommend scheduling a guided tour as you get to see much more of the park. I did not book with a guide but there is still lots to explore. They have plenty of bouldering spaces. I also went free climbing which was a little scary. The rocks are much higher than they appear! Go check it out!!

This is a first for me. A park/historic site that I didn't absolutely love. Don't get me wrong. The geology, the views, the facilities were top notch! The problem was that I felt I was in a Police State. Everywhere I drove, a park truck followed me. Multiple times, I'm serious. We were forced to watch a 20 minute "Orientation Film" before entering. The entire time I felt like someone was worried I was going to steal something. For real? They either must have a serious problem or else they need to start learning what customer service is. Never have I been to a park where I felt unwelcome. There wasn't a single person here who didn't treat me like an eight year old hyper boy in a china factory.

This place rocks! Literally, it's a pile of rocks in the middle of nowhere! It looks like they just kinda got dumped here somehow from some cataclysmic event. The annoying thing about this place is that it's part of the Texas State Parks system, and (nearly) every other park in the entire system allows you to check in and make reservations online, since it's the 21st century and all. Not this park- just like the petroglyphs they exhibit here, they're in ancient times where you have to call, get a voice mail, call another number and attempt to make reservations with a person in Austin. Then they give away slots throughout the day with a standby list that I never understood. I just showed up and was granted entry. The hikes are fun! I took the Chain Trail, which was a fairly strenuous climb to the top of the rocks. The chains provided welcome assistance in getting up the steep climb, making it easy! The park is just sort of an open climbing area- I spotted someone who had spent the night camping in the rocks! Bring a pad and hiking shoes.

What a beautiful park! Definitely somewhere I would like to go back to! We stopped in for a short visit while on a road trip this month. The park ranger we first met was very kind and knowledgeable. He gave us some good advice on what to see with just a short amount of time and had pamphlets with maps ready to go.This place has a lot of history! There are good signs and markers along the way pointing out special points of interest.Easy to get to on the far eastern side of El Paso. Took us about 40 minutes to get there from downtown. Pro tip - get there early as they only allow 70 people into the park at a time.

After living in El Paso for 5 years, it was my first time visiting Hueco Tanks today. I now regret that I didn't visit here sooner. We were looking for a place to go hiking today and decided to come out to Hueco tanks. When we got there, it was around 9:55am and there were 4 cars in line waiting. Yes, apparently you need to make a reservation or else you'll have to wait in line. Luckily, after waiting for 40min, the park ranger asked us if we were interested in joining their guided hike. It was $2 more so we said YES and finally went inside. The guided tour was FANTASTIC. It was about 2.5 hours and you get to see areas that you can't normally go if you're not with a guide. You get to learn a lot about the history of Indians and see historical sites etc. I can't believe it was only $2. Our guide said you can check Hueco Tanks FB page to look for more tours. Apparently they have so many different kinds of tours - I'm really interested in the Jan 1st "First Hike". FYI, reservation office is open only on weekdays so you should plan ahead.

Awesome park to climb and hike. There is A LOT of rules to know before coming (which we did not). We can book your entrance to the park prior to your visit or you'll have to wait for a spot to be free in order to get in the park.If you want to camp, you can get in the campground, but your access to the park is not automatic, you'll still have to wait. We went after thanksgiving, and being at the visitor at 8am allowed us to secure the day, but you have to do it everyday, which is highly annoying.There is a lot of gates to open and close manually and it is forbidden to drive after 6pm. Even if you want to hike a little later than that you'll be escorted by a "not so polite" ranger. That being said the climbing is insane and the place is gorgeous.

Absolutely the best hiking/rock climbing for beginners anywhere! I started with a guided hike with our tour guide, Fernando, back through the guide only sections of the park. Fernando was awesome! He explained the history of the area and all of the petroglyphs. He was extremely knowledgeable. Our tour was suppose to be about two hours, but it ended up being over three. He took us everywhere. It was incredible! After the tour, I took some of the general trails. Most are rated as easy and are nice, comfortable walks. I also got a map from the HQ and climbed to Cave Kiva. It involves some difficult mountain climbing but I am out of shape and did it slowly without any special equipment. Just good hiking shoes and plenty of water. The cave had 500 year old petroglyphs that look like they were done yesterday. Definitely worth the climb. Tip: The guides tours have to be booked in advance. The general trials are limited to 70 people a day so get there early. Cost for the parkk entry and guided tour totaled $9. But I generously tipped Fernando.