The Pass keeps its stories close. They'll tell you the name is literal — this really is the pass, the one gap where the river leaves the mountains. They'll point up at the star on the Franklins and out at the Mission Trail, where Ysleta has held services since the 1680s. They'll tell you El Paso runs on Mountain time while the rest of Texas runs on Central, because the Pass has always kept its own clock. And they'll tell you about the sun — that this is the Sun City, where the sky is clear almost every day of the year.
Our El Paso logo carries the Texas longhorn and Lone Star, the same emblem every Merlin Classics Texas place wears, set over "Texas Republic, Est. 1845." The longhorn and star are the Lone Star State's shorthand — toughness, independence, the open range — printed black-and-white with the worn look of an old cattle brand or a rodeo poster. What makes this one El Paso is the place behind it: the Pass of the North, the Franklin Mountains, the desert sun. On a tee or a cap it reads less like a souvenir and more like a piece of West Texas — Est. 1845, worn plain.
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.
