Where are the Franklin Mountains?
Right at the west edge of Texas, the Franklin Mountains are a relatively small range, just 4 by 23 miles in extent, but are considered by some to form the southernmost tip of the 3,000 mile Rocky Mountains that extend near continuously all the way into Canada.
How big are the Franklin Mountains State Park?
Franklin Mountains State Park. Right at the west edge of Texas, the Franklin Mountains are a relatively small range, just 4 by 23 miles in extent, but are considered by some to form the southernmost tip of the 3,000 mile Rocky Mountains that extend near continuously all the way into Canada.
What type of rock is North Franklin Mountain made of?
The Precambrian rocks atop North Franklin Mountain are "the highest geological structure in the state of Texas." The highest peak is North Franklin Mountain at 7,192 feet (2,192 m). North Franklin Peak can be accessed via a trail located east of Mundy's Gap. The mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock with some igneous intrusions.
How old are the Franklin Mountains in Texas?
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. View of the south end of Franklin Mountains from El Paso, showing the abrupt termination of the range, its westward dip slope and terraced bolson deposits on each side. (1908)
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What kind of mountains are the Franklin Mountains?
The Franklin 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 billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas.
Are the Franklin Mountains the end of the Rockies?
Desert Diary. Fossils/Rocky Mountains Well, not literally moved them, of course, but apparently successfully persuaded numerous El Pasoans that our own Franklin Mountains marked the southern terminus of the Rockies.
What mountain ranges make up the Rocky Mountains?
The Southern Rockies include the Front Range and the Wet and Sangre de Cristo mountains along the eastern slope and the Park, Gore, and Sawatch ranges and the San Juan Mountains along the western slope.
Is El Paso in the Rocky Mountains?
El Paso is split between the Franklin Mountains, where its peak scrapes the skyline at 7,192 feet above sea level and stretches itself 162-square miles across the edge of Texas within an urban metropolis.
Why are they called the Franklin Mountains?
The Franklin Mountains are most likely named after Benjamin Franklin Coons, who in 1849 purchased a ranch in what is now El Paso. At first known as Coons Ranch, by 1851 the settlement took on Coons' middle name and was called Franklin.
Do the Rocky Mountains go through Texas?
The eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountain system cross Texas in a general northwest-southeast direction in the Trans-Pecos region. The highest, the Guadalupe Mountains, projects into Culberson County from New Mexico and rises to a maximum elevation of 8,749 feet at Guadalupe Peak.
Where do Rocky Mountains start and end?
The Rocky Mountains stretch 3,000 mi (4,800 km) in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in the southwestern United States.
How many mountains are in the Rocky Mountains?
With elevations from 7,860 feet to 14,259 feet, Rocky Mountain makes you feel like you are on top of the world. Within the park's boundaries are 77 mountain peaks over 12,000 feet high and the Continental Divide.
Is Denali part of the Rocky Mountains?
In fact, the Rockies are the second-longest mountain range in the entire world. The tallest (non-major) mountain range in the United States is the Alaska Range, home to Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. The highest point in the Rockies is listed as 14,440 feet and is located on Mount Elbert in Colorado.
Can you see Mexico from El Paso?
The view is, of course, beautiful any time of day but when the sun goes down and all the city lights come on it is completely breathtaking. The overlook is just so amazing that you can even see Mexico and all of El Paso from it.
Are the Franklin Mountains volcanic?
Much of the range is part of the Franklin Mountains State Park. The mountains are composed primarily of sedimentary rock with some igneous intrusions....Franklin Mountains (Texas)Franklin MountainsOrogenyLaramide orogenyAge of rockCretaceousType of rockSedimentary, Igneous9 more rows
Why is there an A on the mountain in El Paso?
Every year since, groups of Aggies have maintained that tradition, though it's been generations since the entire student population took part. Yet in its early years, the "A" served to identify Las Cruces as a college town, and to bring a genuine sense of school pride to the fledgling state college campus.
How did the Franklin Mountains form?
The Franklin Mountains of Texas (Spanish: Sierras de los Mansos) are a small range 23 miles (37 km) long, 3 miles (5 km) wide that extend from El Paso, Texas north into New Mexico. The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift.
How many mountains are in El Paso?
There are 21 named mountains in El Paso County. The highest and the most prominent mountain is North Franklin Mountain.
How tall is Franklin Mountains?
7,192′Franklin Mountains / ElevationThe top of North Franklin Mountain has an elevation of 7,192 feet (elevation means how high it is above sea level). A typical elevation at the base of the mountains is about 4,150 feet, which is also about the lowest elevation within Franklin Mountains Park.
What type of rock is at Hueco Tanks?
igneousThe rocky hills of Hueco Tanks are a granite-like, igneous material called porphyritic syenite. Cacti, sotol, and other desert plants thrive within the cracks and crevices in the rock as well as on the basin floor.
What are the Franklin Mountains?
The Franklin Mountains rise high above El Paso. On either side of the Franklin Mountains are large desert basins. To the west is the Mesilla Basin or Mesilla Bolson. "Bolson" is Spanish for "purse." To the east of the Franklins is the Hueco Basin or Hueco Bolson. These basins are lower than the mountains because they have dropped down along faults that are along the edges of the mountains.
Where are the Franklin Mountains deposited?
Most of the layered rocks in the Franklin Mountains were deposited in an ancient ocean. We know this because geologists find fossils of ancient marine life in these rocks.
How does a rainstorm affect the basins of the mountains?
A big rainstorm may send floods of water rushing to the basins, and these flash flood will carry lots of loose sediments—usually sands, silts, and clays but sometimes gravel and boulders—out into the basins. As the water slows down, the sediments are deposited. Over millions of years the basins have become partly filled by these sediments. They are now thousands of feet thick in the deep parts of the basin (see Franklins Cross section diagram). Beneath these basin-fill sediments are the same rocks that you see in the mountains.
How wide is the Franklins?
Their width is variable, but they are generally about 3 miles wide .
What is the youngest rock in the Franklin Mountains?
The youngest rocks in the Franklins are Permian age, or about 270 million (270,000,000) years old. Permian-age rocks are present in the Tom Mays unit of Franklin Mountains State Park.
What type of rock is found in the lower slopes of the Franklin Mountains?
The mostly dark colored rocks that you see on the lower slopes of the eastern Franklin Mountains and all along Trans-Mountain Road are Precambrian-age rocks. They are mostly volcanic rocks (rocks associated with volcanoes), granites (igneous rock with coarse crystals of quartz and feldspar), and sedimentary rocks, which are most commonly rocks deposited as sediments in water. These rocks have been so deeply buried that the heat and pressure of the deep Earth have changed them. They have been "metamorphosed." A well-layered, metamorphosed limestone (see light-colored rocks below) is now a marble.
How many feet does the Franklin Mountains fault slip?
Assume you are a geologist, and from your studies of one of the bounding faults on the Franklin Mountains you have determined that, on average, the fault has a major earthquake event every 20,000 years, the fault slips 20 feet in each major earthquake, and the total amount of slip along the fault is 7,500 feet.
Where are the Franklin Mountains in Texas?
Right at the west edge of Texas, the Franklin Mountains are a relatively small range, just 4 by 23 miles in extent, but are considered by some to form the southernmost tip of the 3,000 mile Rocky Mountains that extend near continuously all the way into Canada. They dominate the skyline of El Paso, stretching from the city center northwards into New Mexico, and received protection relatively recently (1979) as Franklin Mountains State Park, created to prevent encroaching development and preserve the unspoilt Chihuahuan Desert landscapes - the range is treeless apart from around a few springs and in some sheltered valleys, covered instead by short grass, yucca and scattered cacti, and while not especially scenic themselves, the peaks provide good hiking opportunities and far reaching views over the surrounding flat lowlands.
How far is the Transmountain Road?
Transmountain Road was constructed in the 1960s and is the only route across the Franklin Mountains; a busy 4 lane highway running between US 54 and I-10 exit 6, climbing 1,200 feet to a highpoint of 5,280 feet at Smugglers Pass. The eastern 4 miles pass through part of Fort Bliss Military Reservation, while the higher section is within the state park, where the road is enclosed by sparsely vegetated, rocky slopes typical of the mountains. There are several viewing areas along the south side, and one trailhead, for the 2 mile hike to South Franklin Mountain, via the Ron Coleman Trail which continues southwards to McKelligon Canyon. The turn-off to the Tom Mays Unit (closed at 5 pm, winter to spring, and at 8 pm in summer) leads northwards over gently sloping ground to the trailheads and campsite, quite scenically situated at the foot of the mountain crest, with good views west towards Rio Grande valley. Much of the park's extensive network (over 100 miles) of mixed-use hiking/cycling/horse riding trails may be reached from here; one popular destination (4.5 miles) is the highest peak in the area, 7,192 foot North Franklin Mountain. At the east end of Transmountain Road are two other attractions: National Border Patrol Museum and the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, this latter exhibiting the native plants and peoples of this region. Also within the park, the Wyler Aerial Tramway is a mechanized gondola that transports visitors to an observation point at 5,632 feet.
What are the two museums on Transmountain Road?
At the east end of Transmountain Road are two other attractions: National Border Patrol Museum and the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, this latter exhibiting the native plants and peoples of this region.
Where are the Franklin Mountains in New Mexico?
Franklin Mountains. The Franklin Mountains extend from just north of downtown El Paso in El Paso County into southern Doña Ana County, New Mexico; their center is at 32°01' north latitude, 106°32' west longitude. They are roughly three miles wide by twenty-three miles long and rise to an elevation of 7,192 feet above sea level at North Franklin Mountain. The mountains divide the city of El Paso and have influenced its shape and growth. This range comprises the bulk of the second largest state park in Texas and what is said to be the largest urban park in the nation, Franklin Mountains State Park.
What are the Franklin Mountains made of?
The Franklin 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 billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas. The Franklins were formed during the Laramide mountain-building period in late Cretaceous time, 60 million to 70 million years ago. Typical Chihuahuan Desert plants and animals are found in the Franklins and some, such as the large barrel cactus, are found nowhere else in Texas. El Pasoans are especially fond of the native Mexican poppies and introduced California poppies that tint the rocky slopes each spring. Animals range from many species of rodents to deer, mountain lions, and occasionally black bears. Though the mountains look arid, a number of springs can be found during periods of adequate moisture. These springs are particularly conducive to plant and animal life. Stands of cottonwood, hackberry, oak, and juniper grow in some of the more remote areas of the park.
How far are the Rocky Mountains?
The Rocky Mountains run nearly 3,000 miles in western North America. The Rockies can be broken down into four main sections – Canadian, northern, central, and southern. These mountains that I love so much travel a huge distance from the northern most part of British Columbia in western Canada down to New Mexico in the United States.
What are the four main sections of the Rocky Mountains?
The Rockies are usually divided into four distinct sections – the Canadian Rockies, Northern Rockies, Central Rockies, and the Southern Rockies. The Maroon Bells in Colorado is in the Southern Rockies.
What is the highest peak in the Northern Rockies?
Yet again, the highest peaks in this section are lower than the sections south of it. The highest peak are just around 12,500 feet. The Northern Rockies include the Lewis, Bitterroot, and Sawtooth Ranges in Idaho and most of Glacier National Park in Montana. The majestic Canadian Rockies.
What is the highest mountain in the world?
The Southern Rockies are the highest of the four different sections of mountains and include many peaks above 14,000 feet. The Southern Rockies include most of the mountains in Colorado, part of south-central Wyoming, and into New Mexico. Some of the individual ranges include the Front Range and San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
Where are the Northern Rockies?
The Northern Rockies are made up of the mountains in Idaho from Boise north and west to the Canadian border. They extend across into Montana to include everything north of Yellowstone to the Canadian Border. Yet again, the highest peaks in this section are lower than the sections south of it. The highest peak are just around 12,500 feet.
What is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies?
The highest point of the Canadian Rockies is Mt. Robson at 12,972 feet.
Where are the Uintas located?
The Uintas in Utah are in the Central Rockies.
What is the Rocky Mountains?
Also referred to as the “Rockies”, the Rocky Mountains are a significant mountain range that dominates the western part of the North America n continent. The Rocky Mountains extend for a distance of about 4,800km and are considered North America’s largest mountain system. The Rocky Mountains are bordered by the Great Plains on the east; and by the Canadian Coast Mountains, the Interior Plateau, the Columbia Plateau, and the Basin and Range Province of the United States on the west.
Which mountain range is higher, the Southern Rockies or the Rocky Mountains?
The mountain ranges of the Southern Rockies are comparatively much higher than the Northern and Middle Rockies. Located in the Sawatch Mountain range in the US State of Colorado is Mount Elbert, which rises to an elevation of 4,401.2m and is the highest point in Colorado as well as the entire Rocky Mountains.
What are the national parks in the Rockies?
The mountainous landscape of the Rockies is protected by several national parks including the Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Waterton La kes, Yoho, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, etc. The Rockies are also very popular tourist spots and attract visitors from all over the world. The mountains offer many recreational activities like hiking, mountaineering, camping, mountain biking, snowboarding, skiing, fishing, etc.
What are the Northern Rockies?
The Northern Rockies also include the Lewis and Bitterroot ranges in the western part of the US State of Montana and the northeastern part of the US State of Idaho. The Rocky Mountain Trench forms the western boundary of the Canadian Rockies and separates the Columbia Mountains from the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies.
What caused the formation of the Rocky Mountains?
This unusual subduction and strong tectonic activities caused the piling of the crust sheets on top of each other and resulted in the formation of the Rocky Mountains along the western part of the North American continent.
How were the Rocky Mountains formed?
The Rocky Mountains form the easternmost part of the North American Cordillera and were formed during the Laramide Orogeny between 80 to 55 million years ago . During this mountain-building period, the ancient Farallon oceanic plate moved underneath the North American Plate at a very low angle. This unusual subduction and strong tectonic activities caused the piling of the crust sheets on top of each other and resulted in the formation of the Rocky Mountains along the western part of the North American continent. Further tectonic activities, erosions, and the glaciers of the Pleistocene and the Holocene Epochs helped in carving out the mountainous landscape and creating the rugged Rocky Mountains. The ice ages also led to the formation of massive glacial landforms, cirques, and U-shaped valleys.
How many mountain ranges are there in the Rocky Mountains?
The Rocky Mountains contain more than 100 individual mountain ranges which are further organized into four broad groups. These groups include:
Where are the Franklin Mountains?
Native Americans and other travelers have used the natural resources in the Franklin Mountains when crossing the gap between the Franklin Mountains and the Juarez Mountains that is now Ciudad Juárez across the Rio Grande in Mexico and El Paso. Pictograms and mortar pits confirm a human presence in the mountains dating back more than 12,000 years.
How were the Franklin Mountains formed?
The Franklins were formed due to crustal extension related to the Cenozoic Rio Grande rift. Although the present topography of the range and adjoining basins is controlled by extension during rifting in the last 10 million years, faults within the range also record deformation during the Laramide orogeny, between 85 and 45 million years ago.
How many miles of hiking trails are there in McKelligon Canyon?
Plans for a network of 100 miles (160 km) of hiking trails are under consideration. Rock climbing is permitted in the park and well established climbing areas are located in McKelligon Canyon The park headquarters is also located in McKelligon Canyon.
What is the highest mountain in Texas?
The Precambrian rocks atop North Franklin Mountain are "the highest geological structure in the state of Texas." The highest peak is North Franklin Mountain at 7,192 feet (2,192 m). North Franklin Peak can be accessed via a trail located east of Mundy's Gap. 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 billion-year-old Precambrian rocks, the oldest in Texas.
What are the plants in Franklin Mountains State Park?
The plants and wildlife found in the park, despite it being within a city, are typical of those found throughout the rest of the desert. Barrel cactus, yucca, Mexican and California poppies are common plants. Trees like cottonwood, hackberry, juniper and oak grow along the springs on the mountain slopes. Mammals in the park include mule deer, mountain lions, ring-tailed cat and a variety of rodents. Birds observed at the park included golden eagles, owls, hawks, and a wide variety of smaller birds.
Where is the Wyler tramway?
The Wyler Aerial Tramway is an aerial tramway operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is located in the Franklin Mountains State Park. The tram is closed to public as of Sept. 2018. The tramway complex covers 196 acres (0.79 km 2) on the east side of the Franklin Mountains.
When did Texas build a road up into the mountains?
A real estate developer sought to build housing on the mountains and in 1979 he built a road up into them. A local organization known as the Wilderness Park Coalition was able to convince the Texas Legislature to protect the mountains in 1979.
