North Franklin Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Franklin Mountain |
|
|---|---|
North Franklin Mountain, looking northeast from South Franklin Mountain
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 7,192 ft (2,192 m) |
| Prominence | 3,300 ft (1,000 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | El Paso County, Texas, U.S. |
| Parent range | Franklin Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS North Franklin Mountain |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Mundy's Gap Trail + North Franklin Peak Trail |
North Franklin Mountain, also called North Franklin Peak, is a tall mountain in the Franklin Mountains. You can find it in El Paso, Texas, in the southwestern part of the United States.
Standing at about 7,192 feet (2,192 meters) tall, North Franklin is the highest point in El Paso. It's also the 27th-highest mountain in all of Texas! The mountain is surrounded by a state park and has a clear path to its top. This makes it a very popular spot for hiking.
North Franklin Mountain is entirely within the city of El Paso. It's about 10 miles (16 km) east of the Texas–New Mexico border. It's also about 15 miles (24 km) north of the U.S.–Mexico border. This mountain is the tallest in the Franklin range. It's about 200 feet (61 m) taller than Anthony's Nose. It's also nearly 300 feet (91 m) taller than its neighbor, South Franklin Mountain.
North Franklin rises about 3,300 feet (1,000 m) from the flat land around it. This includes the Mesilla Valley to the west and the Hueco Bolson to the east. Even though it's called "North Franklin," it's actually in the middle of the Franklin Mountains. It's the northernmost of the two main peaks. South Franklin is the other key peak. Further south are peaks like Mount Franklin and Ranger Peak. Many TV towers for El Paso are on these southern peaks.
Like most of the Franklin Mountains, North Franklin Mountain can be seen from far away. If you look at it from the east or west, it looks like a triangle. Its long side faces South Franklin Mountain, which looks more like a dome. This unique shape makes it a great landmark for people traveling in the desert near El Paso.
How North Franklin Mountain Was Formed
The Franklin Mountains are special because they are "tilted-block fault mountains." This means huge blocks of rock tilted upwards along cracks in the Earth. They are made of sedimentary rocks. Some of these rocks are incredibly old, dating back to a time called the Precambrian era. These are some of the oldest rocks in Texas!
The Franklin Mountains are the southernmost part of a huge mountain-building event. This event, called the Laramide orogeny, happened about 60 to 70 million years ago. The very old Precambrian rocks found at the top of North Franklin Mountain are the "highest geological structure in the state of Texas." This means they are the oldest rocks found at such a high point in the state.
North Franklin Mountain gets its reddish color from the rocks on its top and upper slopes. These rocks are volcanic and have a lot of oxidized iron. This iron gives the mountain its unique red tint.
A Look at the Mountain's Past
For hundreds of years, Native Americans and other travelers used the Franklin Mountains. They found plants and animals here while crossing the Paso del Norte. This "pass" is the gap between the Franklin Mountains and the Juarez Mountains. Today, the cities of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso are in this area.
Ancient drawings called pictographs and grinding pits show that people lived here over 12,000 years ago.
The Franklin Mountains are likely named after Benjamin Franklin Coons. In 1849, he bought a ranch in what is now the El Paso area. His settlement was first known as Coons Ranch. By 1851, it was called "Franklin," using Coons' middle name. Even though the town was officially named El Paso in 1852, locals still called it Franklin throughout the 1850s.
A company called the El Paso Tin Mining and Smelting Company ran a tin mine on North Franklin. It was on the northeast side of the mountain from 1909 to 1915. This mine was special because it was the only tin mine ever in the U.S. However, it did not make money and was a business failure. Today, you can find a trail that leads to the ruins of this old mine. It branches off the North Franklin Peak Trail, just east of Mundy's Gap.
How to Reach the Summit
The main path to North Franklin Mountain starts in the Tom Mays Unit. This is part of the Franklin Mountains State Park. It's near the top of Texas State Highway Loop 375. The Mundy's Gap Trail begins in the Tom Mays section. It winds for about 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to Mundy's Gap. This gap is on the north side of North Franklin Mountain.
From Mundy's Gap, the North Franklin Peak Trail continues. It follows the mountain's eastern side for about three miles (4.8 km) to the very top. Along the way, several smaller trails branch off the main path.
The very top of North Franklin Mountain is flat. It's about the size of a small parking lot. The only man-made thing at the summit is a 10-foot (3 m) tall radio tower. This tower helps ham radio users and receives signals from emergency beacons. It is maintained by the West Texas Repeater Association.
On a clear day, you can see the Organ Mountains of New Mexico far away to the north. To the east, the Guadalupe Mountains rise about 100 miles (160 km) in the distance. Most of the Mesilla Valley is visible to the west. This includes parts of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, and most of the town of Anthony. South Franklin Mountain and the Juarez Mountains are to the south.
Anthony's Nose, the second highest peak, can also be reached from Tom Mays park. There is an unofficial trail that starts from the C5 campsite. You can park in the same spot as for the Aztec Cave trail. From the C5 campsite, the trail goes uphill to the left. Then, it goes straight up to the ridgeline across a narrow, rocky area. The trail then follows the ridgeline north for about 2 miles (3.2 km) directly to Anthony's Nose. You don't need special climbing gear, but there are a few tricky climbing spots. The whole trip there and back takes about 10 hours. Remember, this is not an official trail, so it's not as well-kept as others in the park.
