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McKelligon Canyon

Central, in the Franklin Mountains

A box canyon cut into the Franklins with a road to the back of it, picnic areas, trailheads and a stone amphitheater that hosts Viva! El Paso each summer.

Why go

  • The easiest way to be surrounded by mountain without a real hike.
  • Sunset here, with the canyon walls going orange, is a standing local ritual.
  • Trailheads for the Ron Coleman and other routes start from the canyon.

Planning notes

  • The gate closes in the evening — check posted hours before driving in at dusk.

More outdoors

Franklin Mountains State Park

One of the largest urban parks in the United States, sitting in the middle of the city like a spine.

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site

Rock basins that held water in the desert for thousands of years, ringed by some of the most significant pictographs in North America — and world-class bouldering.

Scenic Drive Overlook

The five-minute version of the mountain view: park, walk to the rail, and see El Paso and Juárez laid out as one city.