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If you're familiar, then you know that music is a way to break Vecna's spell. It seems like it magically opens and closes at random times and unfortunately, I've never got to write it! Developers began carving roads into the almost pristine mountains in the late 1970s. Small quantities of tin were produced in the Franklin mountains in the early 1900s. The Franklin Mountains are set in the largest urban park in the nationFranklin Mountains State Park covers 24,247 acres (or 37 square miles), all of which is within El Paso city limits. So, the mountains and high school are named after him but HE was (probably) named after the Founding Father. The Franklin Mountains are tilted-block fault mountains composed of sedimentary rocks, some of which date back to Precambrian times and are among the oldest in Texas. The city's record high is 114 F (45.5 C), and its record low is -8 F (-22 C). The trailhead is in the Tom Mays Unit (not the park headquarters in McKelligon Canyon) of the Franklin Mountains State Park near the summit of Texas State Highway Loop 375. The mountain is the highest of the Franklins, clipping nearby Anthony's Nose by just over 200 feet (61m) and neighboring South Franklin by nearly 300 feet (91m). all on Map, Hiking, Sport Climbing, Toprope, Scrambling. From the Tom Mays Unit:Aztec Caves - A 1.5 mile round trip, steep trail leads up to the Aztec Caves.West Cottonwood Spring - A steep 1.75 mile trail lead to the spring which has enough water to support on cottonwood tree. Initially known as Coons Ranch, by 1851 the settlement had apparently taken Coons' middle name and was called "Franklin". Continue 1 mile to Scenic Point (with flagpole and parking). The name Franklin may have been derived from that of Franklin, Texas, in El Paso County, which in turn was named for Benjamin Franklin Coons (see EL PASO, TEXAS). Published by the Texas State Historical Association. I asked 5 co-workers who they thought the Franklin Mountains are named after and they all said, Benjamin Franklin.

[4] The Precambrian rocks atop North Franklin Mountain represent "the highest geological structure in the state of Texas. After the Mexican Warland was purchased by Franklin Coons, who later became the citys first postmaster. North Franklin rises 3,300 feet (1,000m) above both its western base in the Mesilla Valley and its eastern base in the Hueco Bolson. J. Frank Dobie, Coronado's Children: Tales of Lost Mines and Buried Treasures of the Southwest (New York: Garden City, 1930). However, only a slight change in the water depth and style of deposition occurs across the boundary. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Spanish conquistadors and priests passed beneath the peaks of the Franklins beginning in the 1580s. Seeley, M.A. The valley was settled in 1680, mainly by refugees from the Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico. (2), The Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition. The Franklin Mountains are located primarily in far west Texas but extend into southern New Mexico. The tilting and faulting of the Franklin Mountains and the subsidence of the bolsons on either side are part of the same process of pulling apart the crust in the El Paso and Rio Grande area the southern end of the 'Rio Grande Rift' which extends into Colorado. Also to the north just into New Mexico is another trans-mountain road with views and roadcuts in Pennsylvanian carbonates.

Nothing older can be seen. Animals range from many species of rodents to deer, mountain lions, and occasionally black bears. Stands of cottonwood, hackberry, oak, and juniper grow in some of the more remote areas of the park. Maybe your something blue can be the water in the wave pool at Wet 'N' Wild Water World?. Well, wedding season is underway and while I haven't been invited to a wedding in some time (I get invited to quinces more) I did come across something really cute. These are the same rocks called 'Ellenburger' in central Texas, and are part of a carbonate platform that extended all the way to New York. This range comprises the bulk of the second largest state park in Texas and what is said to be the largest urban park in the nation, Franklin Mountains State Park. Look, I love me a good steak dinner, but sometimes, brunch really hits the spot!. Anthony's Nose, the second highest peak, can be accessed from Tom Mays Unit by an unofficial trail originating from the C5 campsite (parking is at the same place as for the Aztec Cave trail). Up high on the mountain to the west, large areas of breccia have been mapped in the El Paso Group outcrop. Outlaws also used the rugged isolation of the Franklins. Many well-preserved pictographs, made by Native Americans who inhabited this area for more than 12,000 years, can still be seen around the park. Other rocks limestones (Castner; to 1390 feet thick; 1272 million years old from ash beds), basaltic volcanic breccias (Mundy Breccia, 0-250 feet), and sandstone and shale (Lanoria quartzite, 1200 feet) are 'floating' in the granite (that is, granite has intruded around big blocks of these rocks), and are metamorphosed. Both bands are great features on our local and weekly rock show Q Connected, hosted by Daniel Paulus every Sunday from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. and both bands are now trending on the popular app TikTok! Signup today for our free newsletter, Especially Texan. If you've missed it: a couple of weeks ago, El Paso County officials discussed upgrading the El Paso County Coliseum after a real estate development consulting firm performed a study on the El Paso County Coliseum. Admission is $7.00 for adults and $4.00 for children 12 and under.An Amphitheater at McKelligon Canyon has performances during the summer. From Scenic Point there is a wide and wonderful view of El Paso Juarez, the Texas Lineament (above), and the broad Hueco valley or bolson to the east, the Mesilla valley to the west. A few more interesting facts I learned about the Franklin Mountains: The Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest urban park (completely inside the city limits) in the 48 contiguous states and the 9thlargest urban park in the world. If you grew up in the Northeast side of El Paso, then you may already know all about JR's Bratwurst!. A poor roadcut in Lanoria rocks is 0.3 miles ahead (stop 9 LeMone). El Pasoans are especially fond of the native Mexican poppies and introduced California poppies that tint the rocky slopes each spring. Today, a trail leading to the ruins of the mine forks off the North Franklin Peak Trail, just east of Mundy's Gap.[10]. Every penny counts! The name, originally El Paso del Norte, means "the pass of the north" or "the northern ford"; both are appropriate here. The tale says that some 300 burro loads of silver were left by Jesuits, who filled in the shaft before fleeing the area. Today, I-10 and the mainline railroad use the same pass the Spanish colonists and traders used on their way to New Mexico and California. Once again, it is not an official trail, so it is not as well-maintained as other trails in the park. North Franklin is located entirely within the city of El Paso, approximately 10 miles (16km) east of the TexasNew Mexico border and 15 miles (24km) north of the U.S.Mexico border.

Content of this site copyright Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. The only man-made structure at the summit is a 10-foot (3.0m) ham radio repeater and ELT receiver maintained by the West Texas Repeater Association. At the crest of Smugglers Pass (4.8 miles from US 54; stop 12 LeMone) is a view (on a clear day) of the Mesilla Valley; and, on the skyline to the west, the volcanic field of the Potrillo Mountains in southern New Mexico. This quality makes it a valuable navigation point when traversing the desert areas around El Paso. The bill authorized the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to acquire the Franklin Mountains. From McKelligon Canyon:The Ron Coleman Trail - The 3.8 mile one way trek starts at the end of McKelligon Canyon, traverses South Franklin Mountain, and ends on Trans-Mountain Rd.Sugarloaf Mountain - From the intersection of McKelligon Canyon Road and Davis Seamon Road, at the enterance to McKelligon Canyon, a short bushwhack leads to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain.From the end of Stanton St on the west side of El Paso:Thousand Steps Trail - A 4 mile round trip hike which leads up to Ranger Peak, the Wyler Aerial Tramway, and a B-36 crash site. Despite the town being officially named El Paso in 1852, the locals continued to call it Franklin throughout the 1850s. At least that's what I've always imagined it as. In a hearing on July 1, Judge Sam Medrano made very clear that his comments and criticisms were definitely directed to Yvonne Rosales who has been the D.A. For example, the McLelland, 2000, Geology and geochronology of Grenville-age rocks in the Van Horn and Franklin Mountains area, west Texas: implications for the tectonic evolution of Laurentia during the Grenville: GSA Bulletin, v. 112, p. 1134-1148. ), filled with sands and gravels (and some deposits of saline lakes or playas) that are major freshwater sources. While the mine had the distinction of being the only tin mine ever located in the U.S., the venture was an economic failure. The trail then follows the ridgeline northward about 2 miles directly to Anthony's Nose. The Franklin Mountains overlook the Rio Grande and are the northern ramparts of the Paso del Norte (Pass of the North), leading from Mexico into what is now the United States. The legendary Lost Padre Mine is said to be hidden somewhere in the mountains. Online and through our free mobile app. El Paso has a semi-arid climate with very hot summers (with little or no humidity) and mild, dry winters.

But we can't tell from here. The range is approximately 23 miles long and 3 miles wide. At 2.8-3.0 miles there is a long roadcut in a thick granite sill (stop 8 LeMone); the towers of South Franklin Peak are visible ahead. North Franklin Mountain (or North Franklin Peak) is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, located in the Southwestern United States. The mountains are the southernmost extent of the Laramide orogeny, which occurred 60-70 million years ago. It covers about 40 square miles, all within the city limits of El Paso. To the left as we enter the canyon are cliffs of Precambrian granite (Red Bluff granite, about 1100 million years old) but to the right are west-dipping limestone beds of the El Paso Group.The canyon lies along a fault that displaces the El Paso beds down on the right and up on the left. At the picnic area on the west side of the canyon, we can reach and examine the top of the Precambrian. Currently the coalition is working to have the Castner Range added to the State park. To the north, McKelligon Canyon cuts into a variety of rock types. This groups advocacy ultimately led to passage of House Bill 867 in the Texas Legislature. Rainfall averages 8.74 inches (223 mm) per annum, most of which occurs during the summer from July through September. The Coalition is made up of organizations and individuals that, for the last 30 years, have worked to protect, preserve, and enlarge the State Park. Lower Sunset Trail: A 15.5 mile trail with many shortcuts which make shorter loops. The Franklin Mountains were home to the only tin mining, milling, and smelting operation ever in the United States. Barnes, K.M. Native Americans have been passing through the area for thousands of years. The highest peak in the range is North Franklin Peak, which reaches an elevation of 7192 feet above sea level. JR's Bratwurst was located in between the Albertson's and El Paso Brunch Lovers Rejoice! Learn more on the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition website. Temperatures range from an average high of 55 F (13 C) and an average low of 28 F (-2 C) in January to an average high of 97 F (36 C ) and an average low of 68 F (20 C) in August. (Stope 5-7 LeMone). Texas Parks & Wildlife Department website. C.G. Scenic Drive: From I-10, exit at Piedras, turn right (north) onto Piedras, continue through Manhattan Heights historic district, turn left on Richmond (after 1.1 miles), and continue several blocks past Alabama until the street becomes Scenic Drive. My parents would take my sister and I, and the memories we made were always worth the trip. If you're not familiar, or you've never been, JR's Bratwurst was a delightful bratwurst stand next to the Albertson's on Dyer. Over the last four centuries, soldiers, priests, traders, adventurers, gold-seekers, entrepreneurs and many others have followed the same path. The two spots are up from the previous years findings. Garnets occur in the rocks near the top of the unit. CluedUpp Games will be hosting an escape room style experience where you have to solve clues to find Alice. The summit of North Franklin has been flattened out, with an area equal to the size of a small parking lot. There is a bench under the tree making it ideal for a quick snack.Mundys Gap - A well maintained, 3.5 mile round trip, trail up to the saddle allowing an unobstructed view of the northeast and east sides of El Paso. At Fussellman Canyon, in an encounter with rustlers in 1890, deputy United States marshall Charles H. Fussellman was killed in a shootout. P.E. If you haven't already heard of the bands Cigarettes After Sex and The 1-800, well, where the heck have you been?

Farsighted El Paso residents and conservationists from across the nation dreamed for many years of making the mountains a park, both to protect the land and to provide public access. From Mundy's Gap, the North Franklin Peak Trail follows the mountain's eastern slope for approximately three miles to the summit. Both of these are deep troughs bounded by normal faults (over 20,000 feet of displacement! So, that means that the mountains and, by extension, Franklin High School are NOT named after the guy who helped write the Declaration of Independence and discovered electricity. Osmara and Rubiel, better known as RubiandOG on TikTok, Twitch and YouTube have officially become my favorite couple to follow on TikTok (and trust me, I have a few). Native American groups made this area home for almost 12,000 years. Driving up the twisting road to Scenic Point, the roadcuts are of the El Paso Group carbonates of lower Ordovician age (460 or so million years old). The outlaw Gernimo Parra was later hanged for the shooting. Obviously, many things have changed- and going back and forth fromJurez to El Paso has gotten a bit more challenging. The aforementioned Franklin Coons, according to other sources, was actually named Benjamin Franklin Coons. Upcoming events can be viewed at Ticket Master.There are 2 gift shops in the Franklin Mountains, one on Ranger Peak and the other at McKelligon Canyon, The Franklin Mountains can be enjoyed year round. Various spur trails branch off the main trail along the way. When, you may ask? If you have the munchies and the only thing to satisfy that hunger is a delicious sandwich, also if you're in Las Cruces, then listen up!. That is why TransBorde, a yellow charter bus that travels to and from Jurez, will be taking passengers who wish to visit La Feria but who possibly don't want to drive their car through Jurez. TPWD acquired the property in 1981 and opened it in 1987. (Car stops; viewpoints or roadcuts; wheelchair accessible; may have curbs). The sun shines 302 days per year on average in El Paso, 83 percent of daylight hours, according to the El Paso Weather Bureau. Soon after, concerned citizens formed the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition. Enter your number to get our free mobile app, How to Submit Photos/Videos Through Our App, They run a length of 23 miles from El Paso north into New Mexico. A usual wedding checklist consists of: cake, flowers, something old, something borrowed and something blue. Geologists refer to them as tilted-block fault mountains, and in them can be found billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas. Holders of a Texas State Park Pass enter for free.The Park is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. most of the year. From the intersection with US 54, the first roadcut is at 1.4 miles; it displays a series of xenoliths of dark Castner limestone (or marble) floating in granite (stop 2 Barnes; 3 LeMone). [9], The El Paso Tin Mining and Smelting Company operated a tin mine on the northeast slope of North Franklin from 19091915. The judge handling the case of the Walmart Shooter absolutely tore into the District Attorney. Like most of the Franklins, North Franklin Mountain is visible from many miles away. The streets of Texas and New Mexico are soon turning into Wonderland. Robert W. Miles, I think its safe to assume Coons was named after Benjamin Franklin. Geologists identify several units within the El Paso Group and have identified carbonate mounds, fossiliferous, shallow-water limestone (calcium carbonate) and dolomite (magnesium-calcium carbonate). All Rights Reserved. It is from this that the city is nicknamed, The Sun City. You can see the Wyler Tramway every time you drive in the Northeast, but even as somebody who has grown up in El Paso their entire lives I've never known when the tramway is open. There are no ground fires allowed within the park and there is no water available. The trail can also be hiked in reverse by starting in McKelligon Canyon. Other versions state that 5,000 silver bars, 4,336 gold ingots, nine burro loads of jewels, and four priceless Aztec codices were hidden in the shaft by Juan de Oate. The largest volume of the Precambrian is made up of the Red Bluff granite (1120 million years old), overlain by volcanic rocks (Thunderbird Group) that are formed by the same magmas.

Aconcagua mountain page is a child of the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits.' Barnes, 1946, The Ellenburger Group of central Texas: UT Publication 4621, 473p. (Car stops; viewpoints or roadcuts; wheelchair accessible; may have curbs), (Car stops; viewpoints or roadcuts; fully accessible; may have curbs), Great example of a tilted desert range, with two adjacent basins formed by Neogene extension, View of the "Texas Lineament"the contrast between the cities of El Paso and Juarez, Bedded Ordovician (470-million-year-old) limestone and dolomite, with a visible disconformity in the Ordovician, View of massive cliffs caused by the collapse of Ordovician caves, Unusual Precambrian section with limestone, rhyolite, and basalt flows. We'll send you a couple of emails per month, filled with fascinating history facts that you can share with your friends. The Organ Mountains to the north are separated from the the Franklin Mountains by the 4.5 mile Fillmore Pass.The Franklin Mountains are named after Benjamin Franklin Coons who, in the 1850's, owned much of the land that is now known as El Paso. The Franklins were formed during the Laramide mountain-building period in late Cretaceous time, 60 million to 70 million years ago. Access level: 0 There are only two main ways to get from one side to the other, I-10 with runs south of the mountain range and Trans-Mountain Road (Loop 375) which runs through the mountains, between North and South Franklin.The Franklin Mountains State Park encompasses most of the Franklin Mountains and comprises the largest urban park in the United States. The Tom Mays Unit of Franklin Mountains State Park lies north of the Trans-Mountain Road and has facilities and trails. Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition: The coalition has supported Franklin Mountains State Park for more than 30 years. A mine founded in 1909 and operated by the El Paso Tin Mining and Smelting Company, proved unsuccessful; work was stopped in 1915 after the project yielded only 160 100-pound pigs of tin (see TIN SMELTING). Franklin Mountains, The city of El Paso was originally on the south side of the river; later, the settlement south of the border was renamed Ciudad Juarez in honor of the Mexican national leader of the 1860's. Every dollar helps.

Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children.

It's the episode that made everyone fall in love with "Running Up that Hill" by Kate Bush.

Nielsen, and J.M. Except, in a way, maybe it all IS named after Dr. Franklin. The trail starts near the entrance to the Tom Mays Unit off to the left.There are many other Mountain bike trail in the Franklin Mountains outside of the state park. There is an additional $8.00 fee per site to camp. South Franklin Mountain and the Juarez Mountains are to the south. Tom Mays Unit:Sneed's Cory: 22 top rope routes ranging from 5.6-5.12.McKelligon Canyon: Flower Power Ledge: 10 top rope routes ranging from 5.7-5.13a.Picnic Rock: A 5.10 top rope.Peacepipe Arroyo: 7 top rope and trad routes ranging from 5.7-5.10 and up to 100 foot climbs.Mountain biking. Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) Charles H. Binion, An Introduction to El Paso's Scenic and Historic Landmarks (El Paso: Texas Western Press, 1970). Notice the dark gray layers that form slots in the roadcut, they represent marl zones with small amounts of clay. On a typical day, the Organ Mountains of New Mexico can be seen along the horizon to the north. Though the mountains look arid, a number of springs can be found during periods of adequate moisture. All this is to say, its a good thing he went with his MIDDLE name instead of his surname or we might today have the Coons Mountains and the Coons Cougars. From the C5 campsite, the trail gradually winds uphill to the left, then goes directly up to the ridgeline across a narrow rocky pass.

Is it weird to have a favorite ladies room? Notice that South Franklin Peak is Ordovician carbonate. It is comprised of 24,247 acres covering 37 square miles all within the city limits of El Paso. There, the Bliss Formation sandstones (at the base of the El Paso Group) fill and overlap the erosion surface on the Precambrian. The highest peak is North Franklin Mountain which stands 7,191 feet above sea level. It's one of my favorite buildings downtown; mainly because I've seen some of my favorite films there (when they have the Plaza Classic Film Festival).