TX State ParksAn independent field guide

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site

State park in El Paso County, in the Big Bend Country region. Established 1970. 865 acres by TPWD boundary data.

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site bouldering: Governor v10
Photo: Dana Le, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hueco Tanks is a cluster of rock hills in the Chihuahuan Desert about 50 minutes from El Paso, named for the natural rock basins (huecos) that hold rainwater. It's known for world-class bouldering and for rock imagery left by people who came here over thousands of years. Access is restricted to protect the site: some areas are open only on guided tours, and TPWD strongly recommends reservations.

Things to do

See the rock imagery

Take a guided or self-guided tour to see pictographs and petroglyphs. Look, but don't touch. Several Native American tribes consider Hueco Tanks part of their heritage.

Climb

Hueco Tanks is known for world-class rock climbing. Parts of the park are guided only, so check the rules for each area before you go.

Interpretive center

Learn the park's history at the interpretive center in a historic ranch house.

Hueco Tanks State Historic Site bouldering: Baby face
Photo: Dana Le, CC BY 2.0
Hueco Tanks State Historic Site bouldering
Photo: Ahmed ElHusseiny, CC BY-SA 2.0
Hueco Tanks State Preserve
Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0

Trails

Trails listed by TPWD, with its own distances and ratings.

TrailDistanceDifficultyTime
North Mountain Trail0.7 miEasy45 min.
Laguna Prieta Trail0.15 miEasy15 min.
Nature Trail0.08 miEasy10 min.
Pond Trail0.43 miEasy30 min.
Site 17 Trail0.13 miEasy to Moderate15 min.
Site 19 Trail0.03 miEasy10 min.
Picnic Area Trail0.25 miEasy20 min.
Chain Trail0.14 miModerate to Strenuous45 min.

Source: TPWD trail list. TPWD doesn’t list trail surfaces. Printable trail map (PDF).

Camping

It's mainly a day-use park, with 20 campsites: 16 with electricity and 4 with water only.

Site typeSitesSleepsPer night
Campsites with ElectricityWater and electric166$16
Campsites with WaterTent sites with water46$12

Nightly rates are on top of the daily entrance fee. Book a site with Texas State Parks reservations, or call (512) 389-8900.

Visiting with dogs

Pets aren't allowed on the mountains or most trails. Day-use visitors' pets can go on the Picnic Area Trail and a short stretch of road and parking between the campground gate and the North Mountain Gate. Campers' pets can also be in the campground and along the campground road.

State park rules also keep pets out of buildings and swimming areas. TPWD park rules.

Swimming

TPWD doesn't list swimming for this park.

Best time to go

Busy season
Winter and holiday weekends
Night sky
Bortle 4.5

TPWD lists winter and holiday weekends as the busy season. From October to April the park is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. From May to September it opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, and is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Averages and busy season from TPWD. The Bortle scale runs from 1 (darkest sky) to 9 (inner city).

Getting there

6900 Hueco Tanks Road No. 1
El Paso, TX 79938
(915) 857-1135

Open in OpenStreetMap (31.9265, -106.0424)

From the nearest cities in this guide
FromApprox. driveStraight line
El Paso49 min23 mi
Midland5 hr 23 min230 mi
Lubbock6 hr266 mi
Amarillo8 hr 4 min331 mi
San Antonio9 hr 9 min478 mi
Austin9 hr 58 min503 mi
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Nearby parks

  1. Wyler Aerial Tramway27 miles away. Free entry.
  2. Franklin Mountains State Park28 miles away. $5 per adult, kids 12 and under free.
  3. Balmorhea State Park149 miles away. $7 per adult, kids 12 and under free. Swimming allowed.
  4. Indian Lodge154 miles away. Free entry. Swimming allowed.
  5. Davis Mountains State Park155 miles away. $6 per adult, kids 12 and under free.

Straight-line distance. See every park in the Big Bend Country.

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation for Hueco Tanks?

TPWD says the park often reaches capacity and highly recommends reservations for both day use and camping. Access is restricted to protect the site.

Can I bring my dog to Hueco Tanks?

Only to limited areas: the Picnic Area Trail and a short stretch of road and parking, plus the campground for campers. Pets aren't allowed on the mountains or most trails.

How far is Hueco Tanks from El Paso?

About 50 minutes by car, based on OpenStreetMap routing.

Photo credits

Sources

Last checked October 14, 2026. Fees, hours and rules change; the official TPWD page for Hueco Tanks has current alerts and closures.

  1. TPWD: Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, retrieved October 14, 2026
  2. TPWD state parks map (amenities, contact), retrieved October 14, 2026
  3. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Public Areas, retrieved October 14, 2026
  4. TPWD: Bortle ratings by region, retrieved October 14, 2026
  5. TPWD: Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site campsites, retrieved October 14, 2026
  6. TPWD: Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site trails, retrieved October 14, 2026
  7. TPWD: Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site history, retrieved October 14, 2026
  8. TPWD: state park rules (pets, swimming), retrieved October 14, 2026
  9. TPWD GIS: Texas State Parks Boundaries (area computed from boundary), retrieved October 14, 2026
  10. Wikipedia: List of Texas state parks, retrieved October 14, 2026
  11. OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data (approximate drive times), retrieved October 14, 2026
  12. Wikimedia Commons (photos), retrieved October 14, 2026