Franklin Mtns State Park, TX - Sugarloaf Summit Scramble
- Alexandra Proctor
- May 2
- 2 min read
State - Texas
Trailhead Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/46dvhVUpUWp3Si5UA
Park: Franklin Mountains State Park
Length: 1.1 miles with 961 ft of elevation gain
Fee: Free, IF you park outside the gate (there is plenty of parking)
My hands reach suddenly for the rocks in front of me, followed quickly by the sound of dislodged gravel skidding and crunching behind my feet. But I don't grasp the warm limestone of Sugarloaf Peak as I stumble forward. Instead, my left hand lands firmly on the camouflaged remains of a dried ocotillo branch. The spines sink sharply into my skin, and I draw back wincing. Blood is drawn momentarily, pooling in small circular specs across the creases of my palm.
And I'm reminded for the umpteenth time that although cacti are fascinating creatures, they are not ones to be cuddled. And certainly not by a strange hiker. The desert is always ready to humble.
This hike and scramble always brings to mind one of my favorite Ed Abbey quotes from Desert Solitaire: “You can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the goddamn contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbrush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail, you'll see something, maybe.”
"Damn Ed," I mutter to myself and into the high desert wind. "At least I can see something from up here. Pretty sure this meets your criteria for true travel."
I stand myself upright on the 58% gradient, balancing on the jagged end of a boulder. And then I glance back to take in the view. El Paso, TX. This hike will show you the best and worst of this city. The Franklin Mtns rise abruptly to the West. I name the peaks as I scan the horizon...South Franklin, North Franklin, Anthony's Nose, Mount Franklin. But to the south lies a massive mine area that has dug into the Franklins, leaving a scar along the mountainside. And beyond that, well as Ed Abbey would put it, civilization.
But Sugarloaf still feels wild despite her location on the edge of El Paso. She is almost a gateway to the Franklins and to the adventures that await a hiker in McKelligon Canyon.
Hiking to Sugarloaf's summit takes a bit of way finding. My best advice is to simply go up, but as safely as possible. There are a series of red arrows that guide the hiker towards the peak. If you follow my path and recording below, you'll take the clearest and most direct path.
At the summit, you will find the remains of a small metal hut. But the 360 views are what grabs the attention. As I summited Sugarloaf last Friday evening, I startled a vulture from the rocks below me. He rose swiftly in the air beating the sky with his wings and soared above me for a while, tracing my path along the ridgeline. It was truly a remarkable experience.
Sugarloaf is a short but a challenging hike. But the rewards are exceptional.
--Happy Hiking!
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