The west side of El Paso is home to many of the best visitor attractions in the area. In a half-or full-day tour, you can enjoy anything from spectacular views and unique architecture to bargain hunting and even a trip to the desert outback.

Rim Road/Scenic Drive
From I-10 at downtown El Paso, go north on Mesa Street .7 mile, then right on Rim Road. Rim Road is one of El Paso’s old- est prestigious addresses with stately homes along one side of the road and fabulous views of El Paso and Juarez on the other. Travel 2.2 miles up Rim Road, which turns into Scenic Drive, to the point where there is a pull-over scenic lookout area (on your right) with a small park. Stop and get out. There are telescopes and markers to describe the major points of interest within view.

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
From Scenic Drive, backtrack to Mesa Street, go right four blocks on Mesa, then left on University and proceed onto the UTEP campus. Check in at the guard gate to obtain a visitor’s pass that will allow you to drive on campus and park in the available visitors’ parking places. The Centennial Museum is two blocks from the guard shack at the corner of University and Wiggins. The museum describes the natural and cultural history of the region. Permanent exhibits include an excellent collection of area wildlife and descriptions of the Southwest’s geology. The grounds of the museum are home to the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens. Take some time to walk around outside the museum to learn more about the wide variety of plant life that survives and even thrives in our harsh desert environment.

Along with exploring the museum and gardens, you should take some time to walk around the campus. The unique architecture at UTEP is modeled on the Bhutanese style. You won’t find anything else like it in the U.S. At the museum, you can ask directions to the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts or you can drive to the center. Located in one of the oldest buildings on campus, the recently renovated center showcases works in locally produced and nationally traveling exhibits.

To drive to the Rubin Center from the Centennial Museum continue on University to Sun Bowl Drive and turn right, then right again at the south end of the Sun Bowl Stadium. Interestingly, across Sun Bowl Drive from the stadium is a parking lot with a most startling view. Sitting high on a hill, Interstate 10 is almost directly below the lot, but the view from your car is entirely of colonias (neighborhoods) across the Rio Grande in Juarez. The view lets you see just how close you are to Mexico and a completely different culture.

Kern Place
From here you can detour to the Kern Place area centered at Mesa and Cincinnati Streets near the UTEP campus. A vibrant area of restaurants, nightspots and some shops is evolving here and worth a look.

The El Paso Botanical Gardens and Keystone Archaeological Park
From the Sun Bowl parking lot, reverse directions on Sun Bowl Drive and turn right on Schuster Avenue (the first stoplight), then immediately go right onto the I-10 west on ramp. Take I-10 to the Sunland Park Drive exit (#13). Turn left on Sunland Park and go .7 mile, then right on Doniphan Drive and travel another .6 mile to the gardens on the right. Still under construction in the spring of 2005, the gardens are open on weekends and offer an opportunity to view native plants in a relaxed setting.

When visiting Placita Santa Fe, be sure to stop by Casa de Emma, where you’ll find a great variety of Mexican arts and crafts.

Placita Santa Fe
From Keystone continue north 1.9 miles on Doniphan to Placita Santa Fe—a group of shops and a restaurant located in an old roadside motel. For antiques, collectibles or a bite to eat, Placita Santa Fe is a worthy stop.

Franklin Mountains State Park
From Placita Santa Fe continue north 3.8 miles on Doniphan Drive to Transmountain Road (Loop 375) and turn right. (Be on the lookout along this section of Doniphan for antique and junk stores scattered along the way.) Go 4.4 miles on Loop 375, crossing I-10 along the way to the entrance to the park.

Most of the mountains in El Paso are actually within the boundaries of this almost 24,000-acre park. This access point into the park is the easiest. There are miles of hiking and mountain biking trails that give explorers a great chance to see the plants and wildlife of the Chihuahuan Desert. The park is primarily a day-use facility (closed at 5 p.m.) with shaded picnic structures scattered along the road inside the park. There are also a limited number of primitive campsites and self-contained RV camping sites. You can spend a few minutes or an entire day at this great Texas state park. If you plan to hike in the park, remember to wear hiking boots and bring plenty of water!

If you continue up Loop 375 from the park entrance, you’ll encounter several pullouts with stunning views of El Paso, Southern New Mexico and Mexico. Staying on the highway even farther will take you to northeast El Paso near Cohen Stadium.

From the park, it’s a quick drive back down Loop 375 to I-10, then go east 13 miles to return to downtown El Paso.