El Paso, Texas Travel Guide

Also see: Guadalupe Mountains National Park

As the largest city on the U.S.-Mexico border, El Paso is a destination filled with south-of-the-border charm, big city excitement, and rich history.

On the state's westernmost corner sits El Paso, the largest city on the U.S.-Mexico border. A bilingual community with 76 percent of the population of Hispanic descent, the city also has both Southwestern and Native American influences.

El Paso is linked economically and culturally to nearby Juárez, Mexico, located just across the Rio Grande (known as the Rio Bravo in Mexico). International trade keeps the border busy in both directions; El Paso also serves as a manufacturing center for much of the Southwest, especially in cotton clothing production.

Surrounding the city are the Franklin Mountains, the southernmost tip of the Rocky Mountains. This region is part of the Chihuhuan Desert, although with altitudes that vary from 3,762 feet in the city to 7,200 feet in the mountains, climate can vary.

El Paso is home to Ballet El Paso, several folklorico groups, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and others, most based downtown.

Sites in Southern New Mexico such as Old Mesilla, a charming Western village popular for shopping and dining, Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and Ruidoso, are within a two- to three-hour radius of the city.

Attractions:

Chamizal National Memorial. Located near the Bridge of the Americas, this memorial recalls the resolution of a border dispute in 1963 caused by the shifting of the Rio Grande.

El Paso Museum of Art. Following its $8 million renovation completed in 1998, this 104,000-square-foot museum became the centerpiece for the new cultural arts district.

El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center. This museum is a reminder of the Holocaust and the lives it affected.

Fort Bliss. Today this historic military base is used as a US Army Air Defense Center and is home to several museums including the US Air Defense Artillery Museum.

Franklin Mountains State Park. At nearly 24,000 acres, Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest urban wilderness park in the country. Its borders begin in El Paso and continues through the Chihuahuan Desert to the Texas-New Mexico border.

Historic Spanish Missions. These missions are on the National Register of Historic Places and are open for visitors.

For More Information: Greater El Paso Civic, Convention, and Tourism Department , www.elpasocvb.com