Enjoy These 10 El Paso Hiking Trails Before Fall/Winter
If you're an outdoorsy type of person, the next couple of months might be your last chance to enjoy a great hike around El Paso.
According to AllTrails.com, these are the top 10 trails around the vicinity of El Paso County.
NUMBER 10 "PALISADES CANYON LOOP" - ARROYO PARK
"Great hike. Easy to go off trail, download and check your position on a constant as it's very easy to get off the trail. Recommend shoes with high ankle protection as with the big loose rock you can roll your ankle easily. Happy trails!" - Timothy Sullivan
"I really loved this trail because of the different options you could take from it the first half but still end up on the second half. I did Monks trail plus Thousand Steps (which was an awesome, more challenging addition to the hike), then came back around to finish the canyon loop. Definitely follow the map on your phone because the trails aren’t marked and I found myself sidetracked a couple of times. It’s also very rocky so be sure to wear a good pair of stable hiking shoes. Great views along the way, I recommend!" - Pia Siaotong
NUMBER 9 "MAZE-CARDIAC LOOP HILL TRAIL" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"This is one of my favorite trails on the east side of the Franklin Mountains. This time I took two shortcuts but in the same direction, there are several trails that form a network that you can combine and enjoy another beautiful landscape." - George Carrillo
"I now know why it's called maze trail. Lots of loose rocks. Might wear hiking boots next time." - Sandra Yoshikawa
NUMBER 8 "PALISADES CANYON TO CRAZY CAT LOOP" - ARROYO PARK
"Great short hike, spur on the end of the loop does not go to the top of crazy cat but has 2 hilltops with great views into West El Paso. Parking is about a quarter mile from the trailhead. Would recommend footwear with ankle support and not just hiking shoes." - Tommy Hinkle
"Great neighborhood trail. Bring water, a hat, long sleeves, and high socks. Recommend finishing the hike before 10 am or starting the hike after 530pm. Be careful of rattlesnakes. Ran into one 2 weeks ago." - Franklin Mesa
NUMBER 7 "MUNDY'S GAP OVERLOOK" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"Tough but beautiful. Stay hydrated, wear proper trail shoes for hiking (the rocks are slippery), beware of rattlesnakes and the heat (go out early before the temps get too high), and listen to your body when it says it's time to make your way back down out of the mountains." - Jovanna Aguilar
"Good hike. Rated dog friendly, but wouldn’t recommend bringing your pups. That first part full of big rocks tore my pups’ paws up pretty bad. Besides that, I enjoyed the hike." - Sierra Smith
NUMBER 6 "LOST DOG TRAIL LOOP" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"Easy trail to follow and dog-friendly hike. Sneakers are okay but definitely recommend hiking boots due to loose rocks and uneven surfaces." - Sandra Yoshikawa
"Beautiful, nicely maintained. Easy hiking path for the whole family. Bring plenty of water and wear a hat, especially on spring/summer days. Other biking trails of all levels all around." - Julie R-Bordeleau
NUMBER 5 "B-36 CRASH HIKE" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"Was a hard trail there's a lot of rocks, no shade, and steep. This is one of the first challenging trails that I go on fell a few times but felt great finishing the whole hike and being able to see the parts from the airplane." - Soto Charlyn
"Challenging trail. basically, rock crawling to the crash site. Be careful not to slip. Wear decent gripping shoes. Beautiful views when you reach the crash site memorial. Enjoy and have fun." - Pedro Jorge
NUMBER 4 "LAZY COW TRAIL" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"Fun time! We even took our puppy, so glad we came. I highly recommend the trail!" - Angela Martinez
"Very pleasant hike, low 80’s and cloudy. Everything is blooming. The trail is basically flat a d a little rocky and the signage is good." - Mary Waechter
NUMBER 3 "THOUSAND STEPS TRAIL" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"Very rocky road to walk in. Even though it was an ankle’s worst nightmare out there once I reached the peak of the trail it was a nice view. The shed/prison cell-looking small building is a great rest spot and chill spot located at the highest point of the trail. Challenging trail with a lot of elevation gain. Would do it again just to chill in that shed with a couple of my homies." - Arkin Villacis
"Nice trail. Starts easy, then it gets tricky and at times we thought we lost it." - Jorge Hernandez
NUMBER 2 "AZTEC CAVE TRAIL" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"The view at the top is worth it! At just the right angle you can a man’s face in profile. See if you find it!" - Mari Diaz
"The view was worth it. Definitely would recommend it to anybody who’s never been or just wants a good trail to hike on your day off the view is definitely undefeated! Towards the top gravel is looser and easier to slip watch your step." - Justin Perez
NUMBER 1 "EL PASO TIN MINES TRAIL" - F. MOUNTAINS STATE PARK
"nice hike! gets strenuous towards the mines so I wouldn’t say it’s exactly an easy hike. a lot of pebbles and rocks so it wouldn’t be ideal to trail run. the mine was very cool! the trails take you past the mines so look out for a black shed thing towards the end and there’s a small trail going to the mines. mine tunnels are pitch black but don’t go deep. view of the city isn’t as great as the west coast but for what it’s worth it was still good!" - Melissa Marcoe
"VERY flat and almost uneventful trail up until the last two hundred meters where it gets a little steeper. Off to the left, there's a pile of rocks with 'Shortcut to mine' which saved us about 10 minutes of climbing, but it was definitely significantly harder; wouldn't recommend that specific shortcut for children or highly inexperienced hikers. The mines aren't as scary as one might expect, although ABSOLUTELY bring a good flashlight; we got some that have the flood and spot mode which definitely works well. Our 420-lumen flashlights worked perfectly for $10 each at Walmart. We showed up at 5:30 a.m so we can beat the heat- we did not beat the heat. The whole way there was around 80° which is manageable. It was worth it, though, honestly. If you're not interested in anything geology related this might not be fun for you. A lot of rocks have visible tin in them, but very small amounts. Definitely, the hardest beginner trail I know of, though I don't know many, solely because it's very long and not very hard." - Nicholas Mitchel
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