A state park we visited for the day in New Mexico during our stay at Rockhound State Park…read more It has full hookup sites as well as a day use area. It is on the site of an area where several million years ago, a volcanic eruption threw numerous large boulders on to the landscape. The park has driving areas and hiking trails around and between these boulders. We spent several hours waking through and had lunch in the park at the picnic area. We had a good time exploring the park and recommend a visit if you're in the area.

This place ROCKS! Camping here has to be awesome, especially at night when you can see all the…read morestars. But the best part, especially for kids, is the unique rock formations. There's so much to explore and climb on. My kids could've spent hours there. We took some epic pictures. Drive around the place before you decide to park and choose a spot.

All it was an amazing sight of Gods handiwork I would recommend it to anyone who loves the rock…read moreformations !

Absolutely beautiful views and a great experience! We would say an easy to moderate hike.read more

The 4 mile moderate Pine Tree trail from the campground is a must do with a huge variety of plant…read morelife, butterflies and birds. You will travel through high dessert to ponderosa pine climates and the wildflowers were spectacular in October after a wet fall. Views of Sugarloaf mountain and the Needles are spectacular.

Excellent location for hiking and trail running. Trails are well kept and well marked. Views are…read morehard to capture with photos. Great to visit in all seasons. Pack water and gear accordingly. Make sure to bring payment for parking.

If I had to describe this place in one word, I would say 'sanctuary.'…read more The Catwalk Recreation Area is a compact gem of stupendous beauty. I'd say it's one of the can't miss locations among the many in this state. Although I had seen some photos and videos, they didn't prepare me for the overwhelming experience. It's a canyoned, slot canyoned, nature trailed, tree-lined, water featured, and wildlife wonder courtesy of a built-for-the-ages metal catwalk that floats through much of it as you are suspended between ground and sky. I've seen so many places of natural beauty that I don't get as impressed or as thrilled as I did when I was younger. However, here, I can't think of enough superlatives to say how amazed I was. This place can easily fill with people on nice weekend days. I chose a cold weekday morning and I had the place to myself for a few hours. I considered that time an honor as I walked the catwalk gazing up to the cliff faces and sky while listening to the subdued roar of the water passing by below. I took time to descend from the catwalk and sit at a few places at the water's edge. I hike and camp and bicycle and, while they offer exercise and joy, the Catwalk Recreation Area seems to have its own built-in stress relief feature. This is such an embracing and calming place that can lift you up and say don't lose sight of all the good things in the world.

The Catwalk is so beautiful…read more The boardwalk itself is higher above the water than I anticipated and much shorter in distance than I expected. Regardless the feeling entering the canyon after the catwalk is almost surreal the rocks seem as if they just fell minutes before arriving. Almost like stepping in the Flintstones cartoon. I suggest going here, bring lots of water and snacks and wear a hat plus sunscreen the sun is very direct and hot. Not much shade until you get up the river a ways. I would say I think smaller dogs paws would not be comfortable on the catwalks metal grating but large dogs seemed very comfortable walking on it.

Most of the trail is easy, with a few sections where it goes uphill and it moves toward moderate…read more Beautiful scenery.

If you visit Las Cruces, you can't miss the Organ Mountains. The rocky spires are stark against the…read morelandscape, and are named because they look like a pipe organ. Visiting them is quite easy as it's a short drive from Las Cruces. There's a visitor center if you would like to know the history behind the area in addition to appreciating the natural beauty of the area. It's also good for planning out your hikes. There are a bunch of trail maps and the maps that prohibit dogs are also clearly marked. There are gorgeous views and the trails seemed well maintained with gravel/dirt. They are well marked so you can't get lost. In addition, there are plenty of bathrooms at the trailhead and visitor center. There's also a water fountain for both people and dogs at the visitor center.

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.

Great Saturday morning hike. We went out pretty early, so there was lots of shade. Saw a lot of…read morewildlife - javelina and lots of deer. There was also quite a few beetles, but they're little harmless bugs. It's a gradual elevation gain, so even if you're not in the best shape (like me), it is very doable. Just have enough water. We were also treated to the old ruins, some beautiful rock formations and best of all, the waterfall was trickling! The return back to the parking lot is pretty much all downhill.

This is a great, easy hike to a beautiful waterfall with a loop trail through the hills and…read moregrasslands which were full of wildflowers in early October. There is little shade except for the waterfall so go early. Be sure and take at least a portion of the northern Bar Canyon trail to the ruins as well. The Bar Canyon loop trail was a bit confusing due to the number of social trails so watch closely for the signs.

Came here with less than two hours till closing. I had asked the park ranger if I would have enough…read moretime to fo the Aztec Cave Trail and she assured me I would so off I went! Speeding up those switch backs as best I could. There is a great look out spout about 2/3 of the way up. The last bit up is a bit of a scramble though. It was a quiet Monday afternoon so I had the cave all to myself. Will definitely be coming back here!

I love to hike so the Franklin Mountains are really a treat! They are considered one of El Paso's…read moretop attractions-- for the views and hiking, but you better be prepared for desert conditions and sometimes rugged terrain. I definitely recommend some hiking boots. This is a State Park managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

very challenging hike , but worth the view. bring water and…read moreprepare to do some climbing on all fours at times.

Omg!! Be ready to sweat, climb and crawl at times. This is a super challenging hike, but so worth…read moreit. Bring water and snacks to recharge at the top. Absolutely one of my favorite hikes.