The Franklin Mountains are a small range that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico, the range being 23 miles long and 3 miles wide. The highest peak is North Franklin Peak at 7,192 feet.

Much of the range is part of the Franklin Mountains State Park. The state park offers great biking, bird watching, camping, geocaching, hiking, picnicking and rock climbing.

There are over 100 miles of trail but remember to bring plenty of water because this is a desert mountain terrain.

The mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock with some igneous intrusions. Geologists refer to them as tilted-block fault mountains and in them can be found 1.25 billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas.

Arriving in El Paso from the east, I am driving on US 180 down from Seminole, Texas and across southeastern New Mexico. Before I arrive even close to El Paso, the sun begins to set and by the time I arrive on the north loop SH 375, it has already set.