Far-west Texas state park grows by 1,000 acres to protect bighorn sheep habitat
Franklin Mountains State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
EL PASO, Texas - The furthest west state park in Texas is growing by more than 1,000 acres after a new land acquisition by the state parks and wildlife department.
Franklin Mountains growing
The 1,054-acre growth is reported to provide more access to the northeastern portion of the park. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the new area includes existing trailhead access to world-class mountain bike trails, while also curbing urbanization encroachment by providing a buffer.
The new area will also help to protect the main mountain area of desert bighorn sheep habitat.
What they're saying:
"I am excited about this acquisition," said superintendent Cesar Mendez, "which extends the buffer zone all the way to Martin Luther King Boulevard, adding some lower elevation and flatter land to Franklin Mountains State Park and securing access points (trailheads)."
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Texas Hill Country state park's near-doubling will add 'rare plant community'
A Texas state park located between Austin and San Antonio is nearly doubling in size, the state parks department has announced. The addition will add almost 200 acres of land, including an area of rare native plant life.
Franklin Mountains State Park
Dig deeper:
The park is located just 15 minutes from El Paso in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, and consists of high-desert mountains with places to hike, mountain bike and rock climb.
It's one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the world. There are now about 28,000 acres – or 43 square miles – to explore, including more than 120 miles of trail.
Franklin Mountains State Park (Texas Parks and Wildlife)
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.