I LOVE this hiking trail. I take my friends whenever they come visit because I this it's a pretty…read moreunique place. You can see the history of El Paso. You can park your car at Chuck Heinrich park when you go hike. I like to take the longer route on the way to the mine rather than following the trail up and down because the trail is a little boring. I usually do like 6-7 miles round trip. I did see a huge snake on the trail last time I went there. He crossed RIGHT in front of me that I almost stepped on it. So be careful when you walk.

I've known about this hike for some time now, but it was just never in the cards for me so I made…read moreit my mission to host a Yelp hike here for Yelp's Fit Club and it was one of the best hikes I've done in El Paso. With the exception of the few trails over at McKelligon Canyon, I'm really not familiar with the trails in the Northeast. This trail picks up at the Chuck Heinrich Park, the trailhead is at the end of the parking lot where the posts are, but I'm not actually sure what this trailhead is called... we'll just call it the Chuck Heinrich Trailhead. We were lucky enough to have Rey D.'s two sons with us who had both been out to the Tin Mines so they were able to expertly lead us to the mines without adding an additional 1-2 mile "I'm lost" hike. There were a few signs out there, but nothing I saw with actual arrows... just signs telling you what trail you were on so if you get to far off the right trail, eventually you'd figure it out. From the Chuck Heinrich Trailhead, the mines are up in the mountains and to your right. While walking if you can see a large metal grate in the distance just keep heading that way. The hike up isn't too strenuous, but it is basically all up hill. The last 200 meters to the mines is the only part I was actually breathing hard for. The El Paso Puzzler was passing through while we were on the trail and with the exception of those cyclists, it wasn't really heavily trafficked. These trails are pretty dog friendly, but depending on the distance and how tough your pup's paws are you may want to invest in some Musher's Secret (we found out about this on the trek down). The mines themselves are really cool and the view from them is amazing! So there's the upper and lower mines. There is a little bit of graffiti among the two mines (the lower I only saw graffiti on the door) which makes you wonder, what kind of delinquents spent the time hiking 3 miles just to tag these mines? The upper mines are underneath the big metal grate. This one doesn't go as far back as the others, but I did a little research online and found out somewhere further up there is a second entrance to the upper mines that goes much further. We didn't find the second entrance to the upper, but from that research it's not really clear to me if the second entrance is like the others where you can just walk in or if it's more of a climb down. All in all, the upper mines are pretty cool because you have a lot of light to see your surroundings. The lower mines are a few steps below the metal grate. You'll see wood placed in the perfect step formation and as soon as you get to the bottom there is a short door to your immediate right. The door made it look like a crawl space to me, but once you actually get inside it's more of a "crouch space". The lower mines were my favorite because you can go a lot further. There are also a few actual crawl spaces in these mines so if you're feeling brave, that may be for you. While we were down there we did see a baby bat (still wondering where it's mama was and the rest of it's family) and Rey's sons said they had seen mice down there once so be prepared to see some small wildlife... and be realistic that there could also be large wildlife down there too. Take flashlights and don't just depend on your phone flashlight because it's really not as bright as you'd like once you're in complete darkness. While we were down there I kept thinking, why didn't I bring my headlamp. It's dark and cold so maybe bring a long sleeve shirt if you're planning on doing a ton of exploring while in the mines. I would say the hike up is beginner, but keep in mind it's about 3 miles out there so do the pace you're comfortable with. Great hike for anyone that wants to see do something unique and see a part of El Paso's history.

If you have time and like to hike come here. Warning though this is not an easy hike or moderate…read more It is difficult and you need to be prepared. We were underprepared and did not research how extensive the hike was or anything about it. 1hr and 30 minutes later we made it to the top. You can see 2 countries and 3 cities all at once. New Mexico, Texas and cuidad Juarez. It was such an amazing view. Do not come to this hike alone and come during the day maybe early morning when the sun isn't so hot. The US and Mexico border ends and families often cross over, there is some boarder patrol but not visibly to track who is on the mountain. The Catholic Church does a pilgrimage here about 2 times a year and you and request to go with them. This was an absolute amazing experience.

Absolutely beautiful and moderate hike. It is a series of switchbacks which makes the elevation…read moredoable. I'm not in great shape and I made it without am issue. The views from the top are incredible. The statue is incredible. I highly recommend giving it a shot. Tip: Do not do it alone. The trail crosses into Mexico where there is no border wall. There have been assaults on the trail, almost always on someone hiking alone.

Beautiful views and a lovely road to cruise. Awesome houses up there with beautiful views. Quite…read morea few park areas to get out and picture take as well as sit and just enjoy the surroundings. There are sitting areas as well as markers proving information about the area.

Scenic drives are kind of my thing, and the drive up Trans Mountain Road was completely satisfying…read more Not only is the drive an adrenaline rush (albeit a tad bit scary too), the city views are quite astounding at the top. It's also an excellent way to skip the traffic when traveling from New Mexico to El Paso (and probably visa versa but can't confidently confirm that part). I was leaving New Mexico after having a wonderful dinner and saw that there was a ton of traffic getting back to El Paso on my GPS. It suggested an alternate route; Trans Mountain Road. Normally, I'd probably just sit in traffic when I'm in an unfamiliar place. I'm from the Bay Area (California), and I am no stranger to horrible traffic. But who the hell wants to sit in traffic while they're on vacation?! I already deal with that 5 days out of the week, so spare me. It was still daylight so I decided to do it. I've driven on many windy roads, but I'll admit that this one was kind of nerve racking. Mostly because some of you Texans just don't know how to drive (sorry, not sorry). But once I got to the top of the hill and those views started to appear, it became enjoyable. I saw a vista point with a few cars parked in the distance and immediately pulled off to park there. Yep, this was it. I hit the jackpot. The pictures of the vista point doesn't do it justice. The views are outstanding! Panoramic beauty and lots of it. There's even a cute little lookout point and some picnic tables up there. It was windy as hell though, so not sure if I'd sit out there and eat something for fear of being blown over. Maybe in the summer when the weather is warmer and the winds are milder, but still. Fantastic city views of El Paso and some nice views of the New Mexican desert hills. This is definitely a hidden chill spot. I can only imagine how gorgeous the sunrises and sunsets are, but I'm sure it's even gnarlier to drive this road when it's dark. In any event, it's a lovely vista with an adventurous drive and a nice escape from traffic.

My best friend, my girlfriend, and I decided to start going on walks and we wanted to mix it up so…read morewe decided to try out this trail one of the days that the Franklin football team had practice. When you walk down this path, there are two divides in the side walk for each direction that someone could be walking in! Be careful though as some people do not follow which side you should be on and if they're not paying attention they'll bump into you running at full force (as that happened to me). The park is also lined up with many trees so during the hot days, you have a nice shade! It's a beautiful walking trail and I always love when it's walking day on it! If you are looking for a place to go on walks, I definitely recommend this trail!

It's a great trail both day and night. Should use a flashlite or headlamp at night. Some bikes…read moredon't know the rules, and one will run up from behind if not alert. A possible 6 miles round trip but no bathrooms! So, if you can hold your gastrointestinal distress, Providence Hospital at Trans Mtn is available if you ask nicely. Great trail for walking and jogging. Good luck, but not break a leg!

This park is very nice and well cared for. The grass and trees are green, the walking paths are…read moreclean, and there are plenty of spots to sit and relax. Perfect for family time, letting the kids play, or just enjoying some quiet fresh air. Safe, peaceful, and welcoming. - Honest Twins Mom ‍‍ Las Vegas

So apparently the offical "scenic drive" is blocked off from cars on this side of the mountain (GPS…read moreincorrectly sent me here). It was too cold to walk to the offical lookout but we lucked out and found this nice little park that also has a panoramic view of the city. This is a great plan B if your GPS sent you to the wrong location.. - Nice little safe park - Great views of the city - Nice homes in this area. - A scenic view is the only real thing to see in El Paso while passing through.

What an amazing hidden gem! In town for a visit and my friend suggested this place to explore. I'm…read moreso glad she did. We did the self guided side and we took our time so it was around 2 hours. Anyone can do the trip, but if you want to climb be sure to bring proper footwear. It was such a great time and can't wait to come back and do the guided tours next time. The staff are just lovely and helpful. Go do it if you haven't!

This small state park ROCKS!!!…read more We attended the second day of the 2025 Hueco Tanks Community Fair Day, it was pretty nice. They had Gozo ice cream and other local vendors in attendance, but the biggest thing was that the park showed out it rare side. We went out on an afternoon hike of Mescalero Canyon with volunteers Phil and Courtney, they were great at getting us out as far as the pond enroute to Tabloid Pass. It was rare to see how green the Tanks were. We got to see one of the major pictographs on the Atlaloc Pass that looked like a frog and a tortoise. We zoomed back to the interpretive center. We were able to explore a little on the Las Tinajas side of the North Mountain. Great time today, and looking forward to some good camping on the next visit to Hueco Tanks.

I enjoyed an incredibly windy winter walk here on Thanksgiving weekend. At 7:30am, I was enjoying…read morethe day and getting my exercise but the wind was definitely blasting. I respectfully salute Chuck Heinrich and hope the weather improves. While there are signs warning of snakes, none were seen. Most of the birds were in hiding also!

This is a large park with parking lot to enter the Franklin Mountains Hiking Trail towards the Tin…read moremines. The hiking trail itself charges an entrance fee, but not Chick Heinrich Park. Chuck Heinrich park has a sidewalk around its perimeter which 1 lap is 7.3 miles long. The park has a playground, some trees and some benches. The park's open area is perfect for family sports and flying a kite. Many people bring their dogs for a walk, there are signs alerting you for snakes in the area yet I have only seen rabbits, texas horn lizards, coyotes and deer.

As someone who plays Pokémon Go, this is a very popular location to come play! There is a gym to…read morebattle Pokémon or do raids. There is a pokestop to stock up on items or battle Team Rocket. It is also a good spawn point to catch Pokémon! I have also heard from my nephews as a trail, it is a very fun hike to do!

Lost Dog Trailhead is the start to the Redd Road Trails. For some unknown reason, it does not have…read morean actual address other than to just say it's on the 1600 block of Redd Road. There are tourism signs that will point you in the right direction when you're on Redd Road and a metal sign with a dog on it and the words 'Lost Dog Trail' on it. Quick tip to get there: if you're coming from Mesa get on Redd Road and head towards Transmountain, it'll be on your right as soon as you pass Helen of Troy. From the name you can obviously tell LDT is just the portion that connects all the trails in this area. It's a rather short distance before you hit other trails (.4 miles according to the map). The biggest obstacle is the huge incline at the very beginning that follows the left side of the water tower. DO NOT TAKE A RIGHT AT THE WATER TOWER! That is not part of the trail, it just follows a rain ditch. Once you get over the hill, it's a pretty easy and steady incline the rest of the way. Not speaking about the trails LDT branches off into, but solely LDT...it's a pretty easy trail, so much so the first time I did it, I did it in flip flops (I found the Redd Road Trails when I was driving home, totally unexpected...hence the flip flops). I wouldn't say this is the most scenic of trails, however, you do get a nice view of the west side, Transmountain and all that jazz. Great starter for beginning hikers, walks with the dogs, or cyclists.