This small state park ROCKS!!! We attended the second day of the 2025 Hueco Tanks Community Fair Day, it was pretty nice. They had Gozo ice cream and other local vendors in attendance, but the biggest thing was that the park showed out it rare side. We went out on an afternoon hike of Mescalero Canyon with volunteers Phil and Courtney, they were great at getting us out as far as the pond enroute to Tabloid Pass. It was rare to see how green the Tanks were. We got to see one of the major pictographs on the Atlaloc Pass that looked like a frog and a tortoise. We zoomed back to the interpretive center. We were able to explore a little on the Las Tinajas side of the North Mountain. Great time today, and looking forward to some good camping on the next visit to Hueco Tanks. read more

See all

What an amazing hidden gem! In town for a visit and my friend suggested this place to explore. I'm so glad she did. We did the self guided side and we took our time so it was around 2 hours. Anyone can do the trip, but if you want to climb be sure to bring proper footwear. It was such a great time and can't wait to come back and do the guided tours next time. The staff are just lovely and helpful. Go do it if you haven't! read more

See all

Hueco Tanks is an incredibly beautiful and special state park! You have to do your research before coming here though as the logistics are more complicated than most parks. We called in order to get a permit for a self-guided tour at North Mountain and you have to stop at the visitor center to pick up the permits and watch an 11 minute orientation video. It costs $7/person to enter the park. We hiked the chain trail and Laguna prieta trail to kiva cave. Both trails are rather short, but give great overlooks of the park! The kiva trail has some remarkable yellow and red pictographs if you can find them (we had to belly crawl into the cave)! I've also gone bouldering on East mountain with a guide. The climbing here is AMAZING and I hope to return again soon to check out more of the climbs! read more

See all

It's undeniable that Hueco Tanks is a beautiful and sacred State Park. It's well cared for and the rangers and those that visit take its beauty and preservation seriously. It's a perfect destination for climbers. Be sure to make reservations in advance and follow all the protocol, and all should be smooth! My only complaint is the lady that was in the office every morning when we checked in. She was very short and rude. It felt like checking into a doctor's office instead of an amazing state park. I thought the first morning was a one off, but her attitude was consistent. I hope she's able to open up and appreciate the beauty! read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

See all

A great experience. There is an 11 minute orientation movie before they will allow you in the park but it is interesting and informative. Follow a trail or make your own across the rocks (please do not disturb the plant life). A lot of huecos to see. Ask the park ranger for the map to Cave Kira (you have to leave your ID with them since maps are limited and they want the maps returned). It's well worth the hike. You have to crawl into the cave and look at the ceiling to see the pictographs. Carry a lot of water and use strong sunscreen. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

See all

Who says there's nothing to see in El Paso? People who have never set foot into a non-tourist-trappy destination, that's who. Even without stunning and unique places like Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands which are an easy day trip, El Paso boasts this gem called Hueco Tanks right in the heart of the city. We likely wouldn't have gotten much out of it without our tour guide Eddie, a local volunteer. His knowledge of the site - no, his knowledge of EVERYTHING under the sun including El Paso, Texas, history, geology, archaeology, linguistics, you name it - was mind-blowing. His enthusiasm for story-telling as well as his physical stamina were unparalleled. He took our group that included ages from 11 to 80, through a challenging path of exploration by means of tunnels, chutes, crevices, chasms, and bridges, keeping a good eye on our safety, while constantly engaging us with cool facts and explanations. We enjoyed a picnic lunch at the table right outside the Escontrias ranch house. The staff is nonbureaucratic and friendly and accommodating. Highly recommend this place along with the volunteer guided tour. To clarify: you should request the VOLUNTEER tour, not the commercial ones. I have no idea how those are but we are sure they can't be any better, despite costing way more. The volunteer tour was only $7 per person - plus whatever you decide to tip. read more

See all

Great place to camp and listen to the birds!! Watched a video upon arrival which was cool. Good vibes y'all!! read more

This is a first for me. A park/historic site that I didn't absolutely love. Don't get me wrong. The geology, the views, the facilities were top notch! The problem was that I felt I was in a Police State. Everywhere I drove, a park truck followed me. Multiple times, I'm serious. We were forced to watch a 20 minute "Orientation Film" before entering. The entire time I felt like someone was worried I was going to steal something. For real? They either must have a serious problem or else they need to start learning what customer service is. Never have I been to a park where I felt unwelcome. There wasn't a single person here who didn't treat me like an eight year old hyper boy in a china factory. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Great rock formations - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Hueco Tanks State Park (pronounced like Waco) is a small start park outside El Paso and it was so much fun! The state park does not take reservations through the state park website. You need to call. Only a small number of people are allowed in the park at a time. I had to wait about 15 minutes on a Saturday afternoon, so not bad. I'd recommend scheduling a guided tour as you get to see much more of the park. I did not book with a guide but there is still lots to explore. They have plenty of bouldering spaces. I also went free climbing which was a little scary. The rocks are much higher than they appear! Go check it out!! read more

See all

What a beautiful park! Definitely somewhere I would like to go back to! We stopped in for a short visit while on a road trip this month. The park ranger we first met was very kind and knowledgeable. He gave us some good advice on what to see with just a short amount of time and had pamphlets with maps ready to go. This place has a lot of history! There are good signs and markers along the way pointing out special points of interest. Easy to get to on the far eastern side of El Paso. Took us about 40 minutes to get there from downtown. Pro tip - get there early as they only allow 70 people into the park at a time. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

After living in El Paso for 5 years, it was my first time visiting Hueco Tanks today. I now regret that I didn't visit here sooner. We were looking for a place to go hiking today and decided to come out to Hueco tanks. When we got there, it was around 9:55am and there were 4 cars in line waiting. Yes, apparently you need to make a reservation or else you'll have to wait in line. Luckily, after waiting for 40min, the park ranger asked us if we were interested in joining their guided hike. It was $2 more so we said YES and finally went inside. The guided tour was FANTASTIC. It was about 2.5 hours and you get to see areas that you can't normally go if you're not with a guide. You get to learn a lot about the history of Indians and see historical sites etc. I can't believe it was only $2. Our guide said you can check Hueco Tanks FB page to look for more tours. Apparently they have so many different kinds of tours - I'm really interested in the Jan 1st "First Hike". FYI, reservation office is open only on weekdays so you should plan ahead. read more

See all

This place rocks! Literally, it's a pile of rocks in the middle of nowhere! It looks like they just kinda got dumped here somehow from some cataclysmic event. The annoying thing about this place is that it's part of the Texas State Parks system, and (nearly) every other park in the entire system allows you to check in and make reservations online, since it's the 21st century and all. Not this park- just like the petroglyphs they exhibit here, they're in ancient times where you have to call, get a voice mail, call another number and attempt to make reservations with a person in Austin. Then they give away slots throughout the day with a standby list that I never understood. I just showed up and was granted entry. The hikes are fun! I took the Chain Trail, which was a fairly strenuous climb to the top of the rocks. The chains provided welcome assistance in getting up the steep climb, making it easy! The park is just sort of an open climbing area- I spotted someone who had spent the night camping in the rocks! Bring a pad and hiking shoes. read more

Awesome park to climb and hike. There is A LOT of rules to know before coming (which we did not). We can book your entrance to the park prior to your visit or you'll have to wait for a spot to be free in order to get in the park. If you want to camp, you can get in the campground, but your access to the park is not automatic, you'll still have to wait. We went after thanksgiving, and being at the visitor at 8am allowed us to secure the day, but you have to do it everyday, which is highly annoying. There is a lot of gates to open and close manually and it is forbidden to drive after 6pm. Even if you want to hike a little later than that you'll be escorted by a "not so polite" ranger. That being said the climbing is insane and the place is gorgeous. read more

See all

Absolutely the best hiking/rock climbing for beginners anywhere! I started with a guided hike with our tour guide, Fernando, back through the guide only sections of the park. Fernando was awesome! He explained the history of the area and all of the petroglyphs. He was extremely knowledgeable. Our tour was suppose to be about two hours, but it ended up being over three. He took us everywhere. It was incredible! After the tour, I took some of the general trails. Most are rated as easy and are nice, comfortable walks. I also got a map from the HQ and climbed to Cave Kiva. It involves some difficult mountain climbing but I am out of shape and did it slowly without any special equipment. Just good hiking shoes and plenty of water. The cave had 500 year old petroglyphs that look like they were done yesterday. Definitely worth the climb. Tip: The guides tours have to be booked in advance. The general trials are limited to 70 people a day so get there early. Cost for the parkk entry and guided tour totaled $9. But I generously tipped Fernando. read more

See all

As a family the hike was not terrible! With railing to help you up! When you arrive you watch a video about the site and learn the history of the Hueco Tanks! The landscape was beautiful, but remember to bring water!! read more

See all

The perfect spot for a little break from the busyness of El Paso. I really wish we came here more often. Our most recent visit was as part of their JR Ranger Program. This time around the kids went on a guided tour and at the end did an activity related to what they saw on the hike. It was an amazing experience and both kids and adults enjoyed it. They have many ongoing programs (park night - where they bring an astronomer and watch and talk about the stars, women only hikes, tai-chi at the park) they also have guided tours that you need to reserve beforehand. If you haven't been here, you must. Double check before hand if pets are allowed, but I don't think they are. At least they weren't when we first visited. From what I remember it is due to the historical nature of the park and their preservation efforts. read more

See all

This review is coming from a climber's point of view. Hands down the best spot to boulder. I've been climbing for 5 1/2 years and traveled to several places that include Yosemite, Bishop, JTree, Smith Rock, and the Yukon Territory in Canada, and this is it for bouldering. I absolutely love how all of the routes I've tried resembled that of gym climbing, which is a luxury. The flakes provided excellent holds that were both challenging and fun because you'd have to remain technical with your feet work. Plus, the aesthetics of the route was ideal. A wide variety of things to climb out here on grippy stone. At first, I thought it was lame to have a limited number of people per day and that you'd have to pay a guide to go to places, but after going through the trip, it's worth it. It saves you a lot of time when you have a guide for East and West Mountain, and I highly recommend Colin Barnes if you're looking for a good guide. He's not only an experienced climber but he takes you to where you want to go to. He's really easy going, friendly and is great with communication via email. I don't know what other guides charge, it could be the same amount, but he charges $20 per person per day. That $20 will get you out of paying the park entrance fee of $7 per person per day. Park entrance fee is $7 per person per day. Depending on the number of days you're staying there and the number of people you're with, it may be just worth it to get the annual park pass. I know that sounds ridiculous especially if you're flying out there and won't be planning to come back that same year, but you save a lot more money that way. To check for guided tours and signing up for one, go to Wagon Wheel Coop's link: http://www.wagonwheelcoopt.com/inside.php North Mountain is super popular and it is unguided. To be able to climb at North Mountain, you may want to reserve passes a month or two in advance because weekends are packed. Once you reserve your passes, you need to be at the park HQ before 10 a.m. or else your passes will be surrendered to the people lined up at the entrance wanting to get into North. So, make sure you get there before 10 a.m. or else you will have to wait in line. Also, you will have to watch a 15 min. film that talks about the park and conservation efforts. **It's about 40 min. from the El Paso airport, so plan for transportation time to the park** We were lucky to see one or two pictographs on the rocks when we were climbing. History on the rocks! Overall, a highly recommended place to climb and hike. Fees left and right, but they're doing a great job at regulating and preserving the history there. I plan to be there same time next year. read more

See all

Hike Hueco Tanks! This place was amazing and one of my new favorite spots in El Paso. This place is great for the whole family. You go at your own pace and choose your own route. So if you have kiddos with you or people who need to take it easier, this is perfect. If you want to go fast pace and love mountain climbing, Hueco Tanks is ALSO perfect for you! Not only are there great trails, but Hueco Tanks is full of history. Take a guided tour if you want to see pictographs and find out more about it's 10,000 year history. For more on what to do in El Paso, check out our blog. https://kasventures.org/2019/08/13/gems-of-el-paso/ read more

See all

This park is beautiful, I'd give the landscape 5stars and the bouldering aspect looks amazing. But the state park itself is sooo beyond strange. We just needed a park with electric and water hookup, no interest in bouldering at all BUT this is THE only park in El Paso with hookups. We called the park before coming, we knew we had to watch a 15 min video(which is good for 1 yr) and we knew we had to be in the park before 5pm. We did both of those. We just wanted to get our state parks geocaching stamp, but the rules and regulations just kept changing and being thrown at us the whole time we camped. We've stayed at 15+ state parks, we are responsible campers, but this park will make you feel like a fool. To even walk around the park you have to sign into the office in the morning again. make sure everyone in your party that wants to walk around the park is present at the office! If you come to this park be sure to call before you come there is no self pay at this park and they lock the gate at 6. I wouldn't recommend coming to this park if you're not bouldering. The rv hook ups aren't worth the hoops you have to jump through. Texas state parks and wildlife, please do something to help El Paso be more friendly to rv campers! Franklin mts state park would do this park a huge favor if they would relieve hueco tanks of weary travelers. Let this park focus on bouldering and preserving the ancient graffiti. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Really cool rock formations - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

A beautiful park rich in history and nature. My friend and I went hiking and rock climbing on the Mountain A side in the self-guided tour. We did get lost coming back down, call the park rangers and they helped us find our way back to the ground. Super nice chill guys. I love all the wild plants and jack rabbits. The scavenger hunt was a lot of fun. We didn't give up and finally saw the 8 painted masks in the cave. It was worth it. I would love to come back and do the guided tour to see more of what the park offers. read more

Amazing views and great hike! The staff was very friendly and helpful. I went during a foggy, rainy day and was still stunned at the beauty of this park. read more

See all

What a lovely hidden gem! The park is full of places to explore, but you must take heed. This is an archeological spot and you should respect it. The rangers have very specific rules and you must take care of this treasure. Rock climbers love the rocks here and the campsites are wonderful. Internet access is spotty, so if you're camping next to the showers, you may get internet. Rangers were amazing, but the female ranger in the office is off putting. read more

Amazing park with a great historical background... Hueco Tanks State Park is one of the great TX state parks. The cave and rock paintings will really impress you. Finding them is part of the fun also so be sure to get a map at the ranger station when you check in. The rock formations provide hours of exploration and with over 200 ancient Indian mask paintings to find you can spend the entire day exploring. A few things to note when visiting the park: You will need to watch a 15 minute video before you can enter the park. This is your "license" to explore off trail in this historical site. The park is a fragile area and has already suffered form graffiti. The license is good for one year and you need to carry it with you at all times. GET THERE EARLY the park fills up quick on the weekend but if it will usually let more people in after 1 o'clock once people start to leave. Also if you want to visit some of the more historic sites you will need to sign up for a guide to lead you. Call the park office for more info. Campers need to now a few things. NO CAMPFIRES allowed in the park at all. 6:00PM CURFEW and you have to stay in the camping area until 8:00AM the next morning. Because of the historical status of the park they have these unique rules. After camping two nights myself following these rules was not that hard and we always have the gate lock code to exit in case of emergency at anytime. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Historical Indian mask painting. - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

See all

As many reviewers have said, after you check-in you must watch a 10m video about the area and what you can /cannot do. The folks who manage the site are very knowledgeable and nice. The grounds are well-kept and the backdrop of the camping area is a beautiful view of the mountains. We saw an antelope or Ibex from our site. We walked a few easy trails and saw the pictographs on the North Mountain. Years ago, people inked or etched graffiti near and sometimes on the pictographs (jerks). The area is now strictly maintained. Only 70 people can be in the park at a time and the rangers have all of your information, primarily to know that you're hiking. We didn't get a guided tour since we were only there overnight. The 25 sites are level and have electric and water. They also have aa dump station. We really loved the views, the trails and the folks! Do visit if you're in the area! read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Sunset banking off of the mountains near our RV site. Gorgeous! - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

See all

I've been to Hueco Tanks a few times and I've always been defeated here. You see, there a lot of great pictographs if you can find them. Unfortunately, even after crawling around to exhaustion, I've yet to see some of the large, rich images that lie out of obvious view. Oh well, I hope to return some day to try my luck again. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Pictograph; Apache, Kiowa, Jornada Mogollan cultures; circa 700-1400 - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

See all

A must destination for any climber/boulderer. The amenities are low but they don't want a lot of people traipsing through, after all there are a lot of historical indian drawings and puddles of sea monkeys to protect. So for the privileged 70 some odd people who they let into the north and guided tours at $20+ a pop they charge to get into the other areas, we're lucky. Unrelated to the site itself is that all the climbers there we met who converge from all over the place were all really nice and chill. We had a great time. read more

One of my favorite El Paso area Sites to visit. Just amazing unique rock formations in the middle of no where. Located about 30+ miles east of El Paso. Great location to picnic, hike, watch wildlife, and camp. The canyon areas between some of the rock formations areas are allegedly the paths people took with their wagons while headed west. While hiking the rocks you can find various pools of water that have some unique wildlife living in them as well as bob cat poop about the rocks. You can also see prehistoric and historic pictographs about some of the rocks from the Indians who once were here. One shameful item is the disrespect some have for putting their modern day graffiti over the historic pictographs here (Thanks shit heads you scribble with local El Paso gang art work I'm sure will be as appreciated as the other historic graffiti in 100 or more years). read more

See all

This place is amazing. It's beautiful and majestic. The self guided areas are wonderful to explore and try and find cave painting and fossils! Fun for the whole family and they have some absolutely incredibly events there! read more

See all

Take a drive a little East of El Paso and go back in time a few thousand years. Watch the video and learn the fasinating history. This place is breathtaking. Hikes are easy to challenging. We hiked and climbed the mountain on a self guided pace. I highly recommend an early morning guided tour. Call and get reservations because only so many are allowed in the park to preserve it. Good idea! Take and drink water. Butt heads have marred some of the priceless Indian wall drawings. But there are many to see and marvel at. read more

We discovered this place when my cousin Jordan came to visit us. The park is beautiful and great for all levels. I've been here 4 times now, and there's always something new to enjoy. read more

I thought this place is ok to visit, but then again, I don't boulder, so if you are, you'll enjoy this place more than me. Hueco Tanks is known for bouldering, For those of us who don't know what a hueco is, it's a hole in the rock used as a foot or hand hold, hence why this place is good for bouldering. We came here just to check the place out with no intentions of bouldering as we didn't bring a crash pad or appropriate shoes. Before entering the park, the ranger had us watch a video on the site and bouldering, then we sign a waiver and are released to enter the park. When we were there in the summer, the place was quiet. There were pockets of people scattered about but definitely not the caliber of climbers that you'd see with the popular climbing spots in CA. If I were looking for solitude, then Hueco Tanks would be ideal for me. Happy bouldering! read more

You have to have a reservation to get into the park. It's tough to get in to climb. The rangers are really nice and try to be accommodating. I'm not able to plan my trips, I'm never on the list to get without a climbing guide, but I always seem to get in. The pictographs here are fantastic, if you can find them. The quiet in the park is really fantastic. read more

Excellent place to spent a day or afternoon exploring the trails and see some very nice pictographs. To see some of the pictographs you will have to make reservations and go on a guided tour. read more

See all

This is an excellent escape from "typical El Paso". You don't have to climb much at all to get some great views of the land around. You'll have to pay to enter the park, and, if you haven't in a year, watch a short video on the area (15 minutes). After, you're free to go and have the HTHSP experience. There is plenty of brush/trees and rocks (some with climbing chains) to go wander through/on. It's beautiful and worth the drive from EP. My husband and I bring our kids (5, and 3) and its friendly enough for them to walk around in and experience also. I do suggest wearing long pants if you're going to be doing the ground trails. Some ground trails have sides marked, some don't. Overall beautiful views and peaceful place. read more

Hueco Tanks is an awesome place to get away from the city life and enjoy some wilderness. Whether you like to hike, or maybe enjoy the challenge of rock climbing, or if you simply want to picnic outside sorrounded by nature, Hueco Tanks is a good place to go! The rich history that sorrounds this park, along with the friendly nature of the employees and the presence of wildlife makes this unique spot a great place to see. read more

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site - Hiking Near Me - El Paso, Texas

The most beautiful part of El Paso is Hueco Tanks. Especially after a good rain. These rocks and boulders are amazing. There a little piols all over the moutains, caves, paintings, and plenty of wildlife. The higher you climb the more treasures you. Beatiful red boulders painted with purple, green, blue, orange and yellow fungus. Tiny frogs hiding within the springs that flow between the smooth rocks. A small meadow filled with monarch butterflies. Pools of fresh crisp spring water. Tunneling caves filled with beautiful ancient art. A must see site. The climb is very easy but can get slippery. There is a $7 per person entrance fee. Disabled veterans can get a FREE Texas state park pass at the gift shop with proof of VA rated disability of 60 percent of more (award letter). Lots of mosquitoes so bring bug spray. read more

See all

Only complaint is the limited numbers allowed in the park each day and almost all hikes must be guided. No dogs allowed, leave furry friends at home to protect the fragile natural area! Really cool place to visit! read more

Absolutely worst state Park I've camped in yet. Had to watch a 15 minute video...to camp? Was not allowed into the park as they only allow 70 visitors at a time, and at the time if was full. Couldn't have campfires, and one of "staff" had to scold me on my driving when the prick was tailgating me! Rude staff, can't wait to get out of here tomorrow!!! read more

The start of the videos and safety Info will put you to sleep but the trails are fun and for the most part child friendly (4y+). We hike here atleast once a month, and they have a great year pass. Weekends can get kinda packed so earlier the better. read more

First, the good news. The campground is terrific, with nicely separated sites, great views, hot (free!) showers, water on site and electric hookups. It's a steal at $16/night. But if you came here to hike, forget about it. Three quarters of the park is restricted to guided tours, and those tours are generally booked up. You can hike on the other one-quarter, but only on the trails (less than 2 miles total), and then only if you pay a fee of $7/person, register and watch a 15-minute video, and that's assuming the park hasn't reached its quota of 70 people. Except for the campground. You're not allowed to hike there since it's in the restricted area. And were you unlucky enough to arrive late in the day (the park closes at 5:00)? There's no hiking anywhere in the park after 6:00 pm. You have to wait until the office opens at 8:00 the next morning, re-register and pay another $7/pp fee. Look at a map, and the problem is obvious. Texas is the only Western state without vast tracts of BLM and National Forest land. Its few handkerchief-sized state parks are overrun, so access is severely restricted. I'm glad we got to see it once, but I won't be back. read more