HUECO TANKS State Park & Historic Site, Texas – Historic crossroads of the Chihuahuan Desert

West escarpment - Hueco Tanks, Texas

“If you truly love Nature, you will find beauty everywhere”

Vincent Van Gogh

There is an amazing oasis not far from El Paso, Texas that for millennia has provided travelers with necessary water and food resources in the middle of the inhospitable Chihuahuan Desert. This place is called Hueco Tanks. I have visited this place on numerous occasions and it is one of my favorite places in the world so I will share an extensive photo collection of my adventures here but first, a bit more about the Tanks. Hueco Tanks refers to a group of large igneous rock outcrops that are dissimilar than all of the hills and mountains that surround them for many miles. When you approach Hueco Tanks you will be astonished to see a very large mass of solid rock rising straight up from the plain. These rocks and the surrounding area have been designated a State Park and there are now campgrounds, a system of trails and a visitors center so people can enjoy the unique nature of this area. According to information at the visitor’s center, the rocks at Hueco Tanks are a 34 million year old magma core extrusion that pushed up the overlying limestone layer. Over the eons the limestone eroded away leaving the magma core

Classic "Hueco" or "Tank" - Hueco Tanks, Texas

exposed. Hueco means “hollow” and rain water collects in these “Tanks” and then provides life supporting moisture to animals and plants of the desert during periods of drought. Due to these facts, humans and animals have frequented the Tanks for thousands of years. A hike across the rocks at Hueco Tanks is a memorable event. There is a trail that starts from the backside of the visitor’s center and it follows up a draw to the south and then it heads straight up the rocks as a steep incline. Along this stretch there are posts set in the rock connected by a chain and this chain serves as a hand hold so that hikers can safely scale and descent the rock. At the top of this “chain rope” the trail passes beneath a giant cracked lens of rock perched on top of the main rock. These cracks in the rock form small caves, chasms and chambers that are fun to explore and provide refuge from the sun on hot days. Once you pass through the crack in the rock lense you emerge on a higher shelf that contains all manner of Chihuahuan desert foliage such as ocotillo, sotol, prickly pear, yucca, agave and other plants. There are also several different kinds of beautiful wildflowers mixed in with the salt bush, desert grasses and loco weed that bloom according to the season.

Desert Color - Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site, TX

After a bit of searching you can find your way through further cracks in boulders up to the top of the rocks which is a broad reasonably flat plateau pocked by dozens and dozens of Huecos and Tanks of various size and depth that are usually full of water. Some of these tanks contain a strange species of fresh water shrimp that look like relicts from another age. There are several places where the rock has weathered into small natural bridges or arches. The plateau slopes up gradual to the west and then abruptly rises to the highest point of the Tanks. These higher rock walls are splotched in places with bright yellow lichens. As you approach the high point you will encounter several very deep crack canyons that descend almost to the desert floor. These shadowed places contain unexpected pockets of oak, juniper and cottonwood trees that were previously concealed from view. In some places the rocks form natural bowls where grasses and trees ring intermittent ponds. If you look up on the rocks from the lowlands you can see black streaks in places where one Hueco fills with water and then it cascades down the rocks to the next pool and so on until the water reaches the bottom. In some of the dark shadowy places there are ferns and mosses that you would not expect to find in the desert. Numerous animals take advantage of the water, greenery and shelter that is provided by the tanks including the gray fox, jack rabbits, desert cottontail, rodents, snakes, lizards and according to park literature over 200 species of birds.

Precipitous drop of West Face - Hueco Tanks, TX

Along some of the rock faces there is also evidence of human occupation of the area as well in the form of several different groups of Petroglyphs. Tigua, Kiowa, Apache and the Anasazi before them all utilized the waters, plants and game found at Hueco Tanks. Somewhere near the present day visitors’ center was a station along the Butterfield Stage route that operated from 1858-1859. When I was stationed at Fort Bliss I drove out to Hueco Tanks as often as I could because the natural setting, rocks, history and aura of the place were a great break from the city and Army life. To get there follow Montana Ave (US HWY 62/180) east out of town approximately 20 miles and then look for the signs for Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site. Turn left and follow road 2775 north to the park. If you visit the park remember a few things. First, this site is sacred to the Tigua Indians and other tribes as well so be respectful. Do not disturb, touch or otherwise degrade Native American heritage sites to include archaeological sites and petroglyphs. There are severe Federal penalties for doing so and even worse, we will lose a resource and link to the past if any damage occurs to these sites. Stay on trails in order to minimize damage to the fragile desert environment and as always don’t litter. For more information about Hueco Tanks State Historic Site and Park, contact them directly at:

HUECO TANKS STATE PARK & HISTORIC SITE

6900 Hueco Tanks Road No. 1

El Paso, Texas, 79938

(915) 857-1135

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/hueco-tanks