Franklin Mountains at El Paso, Texas

The Franklin Mountains at Paso de Norte

The Franklin Mountains dominate the skyline of the city of El Paso. Sometimes called the southern most end of the Rocky Mountains chain. They extend some 23 miles from the Mexican border and the Rio Grande northward across Texas a few miles into New Mexico. The Franklins span three to five miles in width, and they rise over 3280 above the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert and approximately 7000 feet above sea level.

The peaks from the southern end northward to the Texas / New Mexico make up the 37 square miles Franklin Mountain State Park, administered by Texas Parks & Wildlife. It is the largest urban park in the nation and one of the larger urban wilderness areas in the world.