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El Paso

No reviews yetCity Texas, United States
El Paso, Texas, United StatesFranklin Mountains State Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, El Paso, TexasScenic Drive looks over El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, TexasHueco Tanks is known for rock art and bouldering, El Paso, TexasThe Mission Trail links some of the oldest churches in Texas, El Paso, Texas

About El Paso

El Paso sits in the far western corner of Texas, where the Rio Grande cuts a pass between mountain ranges. Across the river lies Ciudad Juárez, and together the two cities form one of the largest binational metropolitan areas on the border. Spanish missionaries arrived here centuries ago, and the culture today is deeply bicultural, with Mexican-American traditions shaping food, language and daily life.

The Franklin Mountains rise right through the city, and Franklin Mountains State Park is among the largest urban parks in the United States, with rugged hiking and mountain biking trails. Scenic Drive, on the mountain's flank, offers sweeping views over both cities, especially at night. East of town, Hueco Tanks State Park protects rock art and is renowned for bouldering, with limited access that requires advance reservations. The Mission Trail links several historic missions, and Chamizal National Memorial commemorates a peaceful border settlement between the United States and Mexico.

Downtown, the Magoffin Home recalls a prominent pioneer family, the El Paso Museum of Art displays European, American and Mexican works, and San Jacinto Plaza is a central gathering spot. The El Paso Streetcar connects downtown with the university area. El Paso suits travelers interested in desert landscapes and border culture. Spring and fall are most comfortable.

Best seasonOctober through April is mild and sunny; summer is very hot, though evenings cool off.
Ideal stayTwo to three days covers the mountains, missions and downtown.
ArrivingEl Paso International Airport is the main gateway, and Interstate 10 crosses the city.
El Paso Texas Franklin Mountains and Mission Trail HistoryWiserMap travel guideEl Paso Texas Franklin Mountains and Mission Trail HistoryPlan an El Paso trip: Franklin Mountains State Park, Scenic Drive, Hueco Tanks, the Mission Trail, the El Paso Museum of Art, the streetcar and border food.Read the guide

Your El Paso Bucket List: 12 Top Picks

Nature 2

Franklin Mountains State Park, El Paso, Texas, United States

Franklin Mountains State Park

Covering roughly 26,000 acres entirely inside the city limits, this is one of the largest urban parks in the United States, a rugg...
Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site, El Paso, Texas, United States

Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site

About 30 miles northeast of the city, these rocky hills are riddled with natural hollows, or huecos, that trap rainwater in the de...

Viewpoints 1

Scenic Drive El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States

Scenic Drive El Paso

Carved along the southern flank of the Franklin Mountains in the 1920s, this winding road delivers the best panorama in town. From...

History 3

El Paso Mission Trail, El Paso, Texas, United States

El Paso Mission Trail

Southeast of downtown, a nine-mile route along the old Camino Real links three historic Spanish colonial churches. Ysleta Mission,...
Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, Texas, United States

Chamizal National Memorial

This national park site celebrates a rare peaceful resolution of a border dispute: when the Rio Grande shifted course in the 19th...
Magoffin Home State Historic Site, El Paso, Texas, United States

Magoffin Home State Historic Site

Built in 1875 by Joseph Magoffin, an early mayor of El Paso and member of a prominent pioneer family, this adobe home is a fine ex...

Museums 2

El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas, United States

El Paso Museum of Art

On the Arts Festival Plaza downtown, this museum offers free general admission to an impressively broad collection. Highlights inc...
El Paso Museum of History, El Paso, Texas, United States

El Paso Museum of History

Free to enter and located in the downtown cultural district, this museum traces four centuries of life in the Paso del Norte regio...

Landmarks 2

Plaza Theatre El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States

Plaza Theatre El Paso

Opened in 1930, this Spanish Colonial Revival movie palace was built as an atmospheric theater, with an auditorium designed to fee...
San Jacinto Plaza, El Paso, Texas, United States

San Jacinto Plaza

Downtown's oldest public square is remembered by locals for the live alligators that lived in its pond for decades until the 1960s...

Entertainment 1

El Paso Streetcar, El Paso, Texas, United States

El Paso Streetcar

Electric streetcars ran in El Paso until 1974, and in 2018 the city revived the tradition with a loop line served by restored PCC...

Family 1

El Paso Zoo, El Paso, Texas, United States

El Paso Zoo

Set close to downtown, this zoo is organized into regional areas covering Asia, Africa and the Americas, with a dedicated Chihuahu...

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