Franklin Mountains State Park
Encyclopedia
Franklin Mountains State Park is a Texas state park in El Paso, Texas
in the United States
. It is at an elevation of 5426 feet (1,653.8 m). It is the largest urban park
in the nation lying completely within city limits, covering 24247.56 acre (9,813 ha). Franklin Mountains State Park is open for year-round recreation including hiking
, mountain biking
, picnic
king and scenic driving and vistas.
across the Rio Grande
in Mexico
and El Paso. Pictogram
s and mortar pits confirm a human presence in the mountains dating back more than 12,000 years.
The Franklin Mountains are most likely named for Benjamin Franklin Coons, who in 1849 purchased a ranch in what is now the El Paso. At first known as Coons Ranch, by 1851 the settlement took on Coons' middle name and was called Franklin. Despite the town being officially named El Paso in 1852, the locals continued to call it Franklin throughout the 1850s.
The El Paso Tin Mining and Smelting Company operated a tin
mine
on the northeast slope of North Franklin Mountain from 1909-1915. While the mine had the distinction of being the only tin mine ever located in the U.S., it was an economic failure.
Efforts to grant protected status to the Franklin Mountains began as early as 1925. A real estate developer sought to build housing on the mountains and in 1979 he built a road up into them. A local organization known as the Wilderness Park Coalition was to convince the Texas Legislature to protect the mountains in 1979. Despite this success the legislature, in the same bill, prohibited funding for the development, operation and maintenance of the park. The property was formally acquired in 1981. Changes to the legislation were made in 1985 when a plan for park development was established and the park was opened to the public in 1987.
The Franklin Mountains are 23 miles (37 km) long and 3 miles (4.8 km) wide) and stretch from El Paso into New Mexico
. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic
Rio Grande rift
. Although the present topography of the range and adjoining basins is controlled by extension during rifting in the last 10 million years, faults within the range also record deformation during the Laramide orogeny
, between 85 and 45 million years ago.
The mountains are the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains
in the U.S. The Precambrian rocks atop North Franklin Mountain are "the highest geological structure in the state of Texas." The highest peak is North Franklin Mountain
at 7192 feet (2,192 m). The mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock
with some igneous
intrusions. Geologists refer to them as tilted-block fault mountains and in them can be found billion-year-old Precambrian
rocks, the oldest in Texas.
. The plants and wildlife found in the park, despite it being within a city, are typical of those found throughout the rest of the desert. Barrel cactus
, Yucca
, Mexican
and Californian poppies
are common plants. Trees like Cottonwood
, hackberry, juniper
and oak
grow along the springs on the mountain slopes. Mammals in the park include Mule Deer
, Mountain Lions, Black Bear
and a variety of rodents. Birds observed at the park included Golden Eagle
s, owl
s, hawk
s, and a wide variety of smaller birds.
. Plans for a network of 100 miles (160.9 km) of hiking trails are under consideration. Rock climbing
is permitted in the park and well established climbing areas are located in McKelligon Canyon
. Five camping areas are found in the Tom Mays Unit of the park with picnic facilities.
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is at an elevation of 5426 feet (1,653.8 m). It is the largest urban park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
in the nation lying completely within city limits, covering 24247.56 acre (9,813 ha). Franklin Mountains State Park is open for year-round recreation including hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king and scenic driving and vistas.
History
Native Americans and other travellers have used the natural resources in the Franklin Mountains when crossing the gap between the Franklin Mountains and the Juarez Mountains that is now Ciudad JuárezCiudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
across the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and El Paso. Pictogram
Pictogram
A pictograph, also called pictogram or pictogramme is an ideogram that conveys its meaning through its pictorial resemblance to a physical object. Pictographs are often used in writing and graphic systems in which the characters are to considerable extent pictorial in appearance.Pictography is a...
s and mortar pits confirm a human presence in the mountains dating back more than 12,000 years.
The Franklin Mountains are most likely named for Benjamin Franklin Coons, who in 1849 purchased a ranch in what is now the El Paso. At first known as Coons Ranch, by 1851 the settlement took on Coons' middle name and was called Franklin. Despite the town being officially named El Paso in 1852, the locals continued to call it Franklin throughout the 1850s.
The El Paso Tin Mining and Smelting Company operated a tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
on the northeast slope of North Franklin Mountain from 1909-1915. While the mine had the distinction of being the only tin mine ever located in the U.S., it was an economic failure.
Efforts to grant protected status to the Franklin Mountains began as early as 1925. A real estate developer sought to build housing on the mountains and in 1979 he built a road up into them. A local organization known as the Wilderness Park Coalition was to convince the Texas Legislature to protect the mountains in 1979. Despite this success the legislature, in the same bill, prohibited funding for the development, operation and maintenance of the park. The property was formally acquired in 1981. Changes to the legislation were made in 1985 when a plan for park development was established and the park was opened to the public in 1987.
Geology
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
Rio Grande rift
Rio Grande Rift
The Rio Grande Rift is a north-trending continental rift zone. It separates the Colorado Plateau in the west from the interior of the North American craton on the east. The rift extends from central Colorado in the north to the state of Chihuahua, Mexico in the south. The rift zone consists of four...
. Although the present topography of the range and adjoining basins is controlled by extension during rifting in the last 10 million years, faults within the range also record deformation during the Laramide orogeny
Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the orogeny are in dispute, as is the cause. The Laramide...
, between 85 and 45 million years ago.
The mountains are the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
in the U.S. The Precambrian rocks atop North Franklin Mountain are "the highest geological structure in the state of Texas." The highest peak is North Franklin Mountain
North Franklin Mountain
North Franklin Mountain is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, located in the Southwestern United States. North Franklin, at , is the highest point in El Paso, and the 27th-highest mountain in the state of...
at 7192 feet (2,192 m). The mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
with some igneous
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
intrusions. Geologists refer to them as tilted-block fault mountains and in them can be found billion-year-old Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
rocks, the oldest in Texas.
Ecology
Franklin Mountains State Park is part of the Chihuahuan DesertChihuahuan Desert
The Chihuahuan Desert is a desert, and an ecoregion designation, that straddles the U.S.-Mexico border in the central and northern portions of the Mexican Plateau, bordered on the west by the extensive Sierra Madre Occidental range, and overlaying northern portions of the east range, the Sierra...
. The plants and wildlife found in the park, despite it being within a city, are typical of those found throughout the rest of the desert. Barrel cactus
Barrel cactus
Barrel cacti are classified into the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, both of which are found in the Southwest Desert of North America. Their pineapple-shaped fruits can be easily removed but are not recommended for eating. The barrel cactus may reach over a metre in height. Its ribs are...
, Yucca
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
, Mexican
Argemone mexicana
Argemone mexicana is a species of poppy found in Mexico and now widely naturalized in the United States, India and Ethiopia...
and Californian poppies
California poppy
The California poppy is a perennial and annual plant, native to the United States, and the official state flower of California.- Description :...
are common plants. Trees like Cottonwood
Populus fremontii
Populus fremontii, the Fremont cottonwood or Alamo cottonwood, is a cottonwood poplar native to western North America, in California and east to Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, and south into Sonora in northwestern Mexico...
, hackberry, juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
and oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
grow along the springs on the mountain slopes. Mammals in the park include Mule Deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, Mountain Lions, Black Bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and a variety of rodents. Birds observed at the park included Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, and a wide variety of smaller birds.
Recreation
Franklin Mountains State Park is open for year-round recreation. Development of the park is limited and much of the land is far from paved access roads and parking areas. Two hiking trails can be accessed from the Woodrow Bean Transmountain DriveWoodrow Bean Transmountain Drive
Transmountain Road is a part of Loop 375 which connects Northeast El Paso to West El Paso between Patriot Freeway and Interstate 10. It crosses through the Franklin Mountains with its highest elevation at the crest of Smuggler's Pass. It was officially opened August 5, 1969, and considered to be...
. Plans for a network of 100 miles (160.9 km) of hiking trails are under consideration. Rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
is permitted in the park and well established climbing areas are located in McKelligon Canyon
McKelligon Canyon
McKelligon Canyon is the location of a 1,503-seat amphitheater located in El Paso, Texas, United States, where the play Viva El Paso! is presented. The amphitheater is also used for concerts, graduation ceremonies, and other special events....
. Five camping areas are found in the Tom Mays Unit of the park with picnic facilities.
See also
- Franklin Mountains (Texas)Franklin Mountains (Texas)The Franklin Mountains of Texas are a small range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift...
- North Franklin MountainNorth Franklin MountainNorth Franklin Mountain is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, located in the Southwestern United States. North Franklin, at , is the highest point in El Paso, and the 27th-highest mountain in the state of...
- El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
- Texas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentTexas Parks and Wildlife DepartmentThe Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas...