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The Pass of the North — a crossing in the mountains that has carried four centuries of history. El Paso sits in the gap where the Rio Grande breaks out of the southern Rockies, the natural pass that everything moving between Mexico and the American Southwest funneled through for four hundred years. A Spanish expedition named it "El Paso del Norte," the Pass of the North, in 1598; the oldest mission in Texas rose nearby a few generations later. Today it is the Sun City, set at the foot of the Franklin Mountains, with a star lit on the slope above it and a sun that almost never quits. This page tells the story of the Pass.
Long before any European arrived, Pueblo and desert peoples lived and traded along the Rio Grande at the Pass. In 1598 a Spanish expedition led by Juan de Onate reached the river and gave the crossing its lasting name — El Paso del Norte, the Pass of the North. The mission tradition followed: Fray Garcia de San Francisco founded the first mission of the Pass in 1659, and in 1682, after the Pueblo Revolt drove refugees and the Tigua south, the Ysleta and Socorro missions were built — the oldest in Texas, with Ysleta del Sur Pueblo recognized as the oldest town in the state. For four centuries the Pass was a crossroads on the Camino Real, the royal road of the Spanish Southwest.
Why People Visit El Paso Texas
- Hike Franklin Mountains State Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country, with desert trails and overlooks above the city.
- Drive the Scenic Drive Overlook for the classic view of the valley, the mountains, and the lights of two countries at night.
- Follow the El Paso Mission Trail to Ysleta, the oldest mission in Texas, plus Socorro and the San Elizario chapel.
- Rest at San Jacinto Plaza, the historic downtown square with its sculpted alligators.
- Explore Hueco Tanks State Park for desert rock formations and world-class bouldering.
- Visit the El Paso Museum of Art downtown for regional collections and rotating exhibitions.
