We decided to get outside and stretch our legs at Hueco Tanks State Park. Hueco Tanks preserves some of the natural year-round sources of water, petroglyphs, and pictographs in our part of west Texas. It offers a really unique park experience and is definitely worth the trip.
Hueco Tanks State Park uses a reservation system year-round. A limited number of tickets are available for the different activities each day. The park recommends making reservations at least a week in advance. Tickets may sell out before that. Be sure to pack sunscreen, bug spray, and lots of water. And wear sturdy shoes.
Address and Location
You’ll find Hueco Tanks State Park at 6900 Hueco Tanks Road in El Paso, Texas. It’s a 25 minute drive from the east side and closer to 45 minutes from the west side of El Paso.
Cost
Prices vary for day passes, guided tours, rock climbing, and camping. You can reserve camp sites online. All other options are reserved over the phone and paid for upon entering the park. Park day passes and admission for the Petroglyph and Pictograph tour both cost $7 per person.
What to Do
We opted to take the Petroglyph and Pictograph tour. This ranger-led tour lasts around 2 hours and involves genuine climbing. It is not accessibility-friendly, and anyone on the tour will need to be able to climb over rocks and up and down steeper grades on boulders. I would not recommend this tour for children who need assistance walking. Aside from the climbing (and falling for me) part, the tour was fascinating.
You’ll see a wide variety of Petroglyphs (carvings) and Pictographs (paintings). Some of the pictographs were graffiti left in the 1950s and 60s. Many of the Petroglyphs are much older. You’ll also find the People of the Sun Petroglyph, an emblem of the local Ysleta del Sur Pueblo.
Many of the main park trails are pretty well groomed and level. They do have some uneven and narrow portions. We saw several families with younger kids. Overall, Hueco Tanks is a beautiful state park that offers a variety of fun and interesting things to see and do.
