Hueco Tanks

Last updated
Hueco Tanks
Hueco-tanks-east-mtn-tx1.jpg
East Mountain at Hueco Tanks
Relief map of Texas.png
Red pog.svg
Hueco Tanks
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Hueco Tanks
Nearest city El Paso, Texas
Coordinates 31°55′13″N106°02′19″W / 31.92028°N 106.03861°W / 31.92028; -106.03861
Area860 acres (350 ha)
NRHP reference No. 71000930 [1]
Significant dates
Prehistoric1000-1499 AD
Historic Aboriginal1500-1824
Added to NRHPJuly 14, 1971
Designated NHLJanuary 13, 2021
Designated TSHSJune 12, 1969

Hueco Tanks is an area of low mountains and historic site in El Paso County, Texas, in the United States. It is located in a high-altitude desert basin between the Franklin Mountains to the west and the Hueco Mountains to the east. Hueco is a Spanish word meaning hollows and refers to the many water-holding depressions in the boulders and rock faces throughout the region. Due to the unique concentration of historic artifacts, plants and wildlife, the site is under protection of Texas law; it is a crime to remove, alter, or destroy them. [2]

Contents

The historic site is located approximately 32 miles (51 km) northeast of central El Paso, Texas, accessible via El Paso's Montana Avenue (U.S. Route 62/U.S. Route 180), by turning at RM 2775. The park consists of three syenite (a weak form of granite) mountains; it is 860 acres (350 ha) in area [3] and is popular for recreation such as birdwatching and bouldering. It is culturally and spiritually significant to many Native Americans. This significance is partially manifested in the pictographs (rock paintings) that can be found throughout the region, many of which are thousands of years old. [4]

Designation

Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site was obtained from the county by special deed on June 12, 1969, and by purchase of 121 additional acres on August 10, 1970. This site was opened to the public in May 1970. This 860.3-acre park is named for the large natural rock basins or "huecos" that have furnished a supply of trapped rainwater to dwellers and travelers in this arid region of west Texas for millennia. [5]

History

US Geological Survey photograph shows a wagon crossing the desert in front of Hueco Tanks in 1909. Hueco Bolson 1909.jpg
US Geological Survey photograph shows a wagon crossing the desert in front of Hueco Tanks in 1909.

The park has gone through considerable changes during private and public ownership. The inscribed names of Texas Rangers and US Cavalrymen, as well as Native American artifacts and paintings, attest to its historic nature. [6]

This site had originally attracted people due to its critical resource needed to survive life in the desert-water. The huge rocks and boulders have cracks and are pocketed with holes-huecos that trap and hold rainwater for months at a time. Passing people found this out and had made it known for future travelers by encrypting the walls with pictures and symbols on the rocks. [7]

Early inhabitants

Metates and White Horned Dancer in the Cave of the White Horned Dancer, Hueco Tanks Metates and White Horned Dancer, Hueco Tanks.jpg
Metates and White Horned Dancer in the Cave of the White Horned Dancer, Hueco Tanks

Human habitation of the area dates back 10,000 years with the arrival of the Desert Archaic Culture. [9] These people would have eaten mesquite beans, banana yucca and cactus fruits in Hueco Tanks. [10] The region was inhabited by various peoples, from the Paleo-Indians who used Folsom points to hunt the Megafauna of North America, to the people of the 'Jornada Mogollon' (pronounced mo-goi-YONE). This site was once a Jornada Mogollon village, according to an archaeological dig of the ground between North Mountain and West Mountain. By about 700 years ago, the population of the village could no longer be sustained by the small agricultural area surrounding Hueco Tanks. At this point, a population shift occurred and settlements were formed on the nearby playas to the south, west, and northwest. There, they flourished until about 1450 A.D. when the area suffered from a series of severe droughts. [11] Although it took time, by about 1600 A.D. the region was inhabited by the Apache people, who moved in from Canada (see the Athabascans).

Agriculture was introduced in the area sometime around 1000 A.D. and along with it, the development of the Jornada Mogollon Culture. [9] The Jornada people built a village in the area and grew corn. [12]

Later the area was occupied by Mescalero and Lipan Apaches and Jumano people. [9] Also using the area were Comanche, Kiowa and Tiguas. [9] Spanish and Mexican travelers were rare visitors to the area. [9] The Kiowa called the area the Tso-doi-gyata-de-dee, meaning "rock cave where they were surrounded." [13] In 1837, the Kiowa signed a treaty with the United States, however, shortly after Mexican soldiers forced them into a six-day siege in Hueco Tanks, during which most of them died. [13] The earliest known modern graffiti dates back to the 1840s. [12]

The area was visited by United States Boundary Commissioner, John R. Bartlett, in 1852 who recorded some of the pictographs. [9] Between 1858 and 1859, the Butterfield Overland Mail kept a stagecoach station in the area, but left when a better location was found to the south. [9] An El Paso businessman, Juan Armadariz, purchased much of the Hueco Tanks land to use for ranching in 1895. [14] Silverio Escontrías bought the land from Armendariz in 1898 and the family used it as a ranch and tourist attraction until 1956. [9] The early El Paso Archaeological Society (EPAS) began to campaign for the land to be turned into a park and in 1935, the National Park Service offered to buy the land from the Escontrías family, but they refused. [14] Fort Bliss leased land from the Escontrías family for training purposes in the 1940s and 50s. [14] The ranch went on the real estate market in 1956 and during this time, members of archaeological and historical societies raised awareness of the area's significance. [14] El Paso County took over the land in the mid-1960s. [9]

Rock painting of a deer at Hueco Tanks. Hueco Tanks State Park, A journey into the past 141206-A-FJ979-008.jpg
Rock painting of a deer at Hueco Tanks.

In 1968, it was discussed whether or not the park should be turned over to the Tiguas. [15] In 1969, the El Paso County commissioners decided to deed the park to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. [16] It was made a Texas State Park in 1970. [3] The park's information center was made from the old Escontrías ranch house. [17] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. [9] Archaeological excavations conducted by George Kegley took place in the area between 1972 and 1973. [9] The park was named the Hueco Tanks State Historic Site in 1998. [9]

Pictographs

Rock drawings, or pictographs, in a restricted area of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site near El Paso, Texas. Rock drawings, or pictographs, in a restricted area of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site near El Paso in El Paso County, Texas LCCN2014631144.tif
Rock drawings, or pictographs, in a restricted area of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site near El Paso, Texas.

The first paintings made at Hueco Tanks were done by members of the Desert Archaic Culture, and depicted abstract designs. [10] These were created between 6000 and 3000 B.C. [10] Between 3000 BC and 450 A.D., pictures of animals and humans were drawn on the rocks. [18]

Most of the pictographs at Hueco Tanks are of Jornada Mogollon origin. [19] The drawings may have been used in praying for rain. [19] The Jornada's religion was influenced by Mesoamerican religions. [20] Many of the Hueco Tanks drawings depicted Tlaloc, a rain god and Quetzalcoatl. [20]

Modern graffiti by Anglo people started appearing when someone painted "1849" over some of the original pictographs. [21]

The first scientific overview of the rock paintings at Hueco Tanks happened in the summer of 1939 with Forrest and Lula Kirkland recording the art. [22] Most of the colors used in the paintings came from minerals in the area. [23] The paintings themselves became bound to the rock through the aging process. [22]

In 1972, the El Paso Archaeological Society (EPAS) and the Anthropology Club of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) systematically documented the drawings, their current conditions and sometimes relocated and inspected the rock art. [24] The project discovered 300 previously unrecorded pictographs. [24] The findings of their work was published in A Rock Art Inventory at Hueco Tanks State Park (1974). [24] In 1988, park ranger Dave Parker and archeologist Ron Ralph plotted the location of all known pictographs. [24] A digital database of the art and its GPS coordinates was started in 1999 with Robert Mark and Evelyn Billo. [24]

Geology

One of the large "tanks" in Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site in the low mountains above El Paso, Texas. One of the large "tanks" in Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site in the low mountains above El Paso, Texas LCCN2014630724.tif
One of the large "tanks" in Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site in the low mountains above El Paso, Texas.

The syenite pluton was formed 34-38 million years ago, as part of a larger range, the Hueco Mountains, which range in age to over 320 million years ago, when this area was covered by an inland sea. The pluton was eventually exposed through weathering to form the rock formations visible today, which jut from the desert floor. The tanks were once capable of containing a year's supply of water. [9] In addition to the tanks, there are several permanent springs and seasonal springs in the area. [25] The area receives less than 14 inches (360 mm) of rainfall a year. [26]

The syenite rock formation is covered with 'desert patina' (visible in the image below), the result of thousands of years of weathering of the rock surface by sun, sand, and water; the site is culturally and spiritually significant to many Native Americans, such as the Mescalero Apache, the Kiowa, [27] the Hopi, and the Pueblo people. This significance is partially manifested in the pictographs (rock paintings) that can be found throughout the region, some of which are thousands of years old. Hueco Tanks contains the single largest concentration of mask paintings by Native Americans in North America, of which hundreds exist at this site. [28]

Wildlife

Freshwater shrimp and spadefoot toads survive at the site; for this and other reasons, visitors are cautioned against touching the pools of water at Hueco Tanks to avoid destroying the eggs of these animals. [29] [30] Other amphibians seen in the park include barred tiger salamanders. [26] Around 30 different species of reptiles live in the area. [26] In 2002, 222 different species of bird were documented at the site during the year. [25] Migratory birds such as waterfowl and songbirds pass through during migration seasons. [26] Several birds such as the prairie falcon, burrowing owl, white throated swift, black-chinned hummingbird, ash throated flycatcher, Crissal thrasher, blue grosbeak, Scott's oriole and lesser goldfinch all likely breed in the area. [26] The park is home today to mule deer, black bears, bobcats, gray fox, coyotes, badgers, ringtails, skunks, raccoons, mountain lions, black-tailed jackrabbits, desert cottontail, eastern cottontail, six species of bats and twenty species of rodents. [26] [31]

Plants

Around the syenite outcrops, the park is surrounded by Chihuahuan Desert scrub with creosote bush as the dominant species. [25] The site contains enough water to support live oaks and junipers, species which survive from the last ice age. Other trees found in the area include netleaf hackberry, Texas mulberry, Mexican buckeye, catclaw acacia, and Arizona white oak. [25] [32] Hueco Tanks has the only population in the United States of the plant Colubrina stricta . [26]

Bouldering

Bouldering on North Mountain at Hueco Tanks Hueco Tanks Bouldering.jpg
Bouldering on North Mountain at Hueco Tanks

Hueco Tanks is widely regarded as one of the best areas in the world for bouldering, [33] that is, rock climbing low enough to attempt without ropes for protection. It is unique for its rock type, the concentration and the quality of the climbing. In any given climbing season, which generally lasts from October through March, it is common for climbers from across Europe, Asia, and Australia to visit the park. In February an outdoor bouldering competition known as the Hueco Rock Rodeo is held. The event is a world-class outdoor competition that attracts many professional climbers every year. [34]

Since the implementation of the Public Use Plan in June 2000, [35] [36] following a brief closure of the entire park due to the park service's inability to manage the growing crowds of international climbers, more than two-thirds of the park is restricted to tours by volunteer or commercial guides. Only North Mountain is accessible without guides, and then only for about 70 people at any given time, except on the south side at ground level, which is closed to the public. [37] The park offers camping and showers for $12 per night (as of April 2020), [38] or, as is most popular for climbers, the nearby Hueco Rock Ranch offers camping where climbers can relax and socialize. This is also where commercial guides can be found, and where many volunteer guides stay during the climbing season.[ citation needed ]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ Sutherland 1996 p.25
  3. 1 2 Rentería, Ramón (24 May 2011). "Ancient desert oasis - Hueco Tanks a monument to native cultures". Las Cruces Sun-News.
  4. ↑ Mulvihill, K. "On Rock Walls, Painted Prayers to Rain Gods", The New York Times . September 19, 2008. Retrieved 9/19/08.
  5. ↑ "Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site History — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department".
  6. ↑ Video of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site and Climbing opportunities Archived 2007-11-22 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Texas Beyond History" . Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  8. ↑ Sutherland 1996 p.18 and also title page.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Miles, Robert W.; Ralph, Ronald W. (15 June 2010). "Hueco Tanks State Historic Site". Handbook of Texas Online. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Sutherland 1996, p. 8.
  11. ↑ "Hueco Tanks." Texas Beyond History. Jan. 2008. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/hueco/story.html>.
  12. 1 2 "Hueco Tanks". Texas Beyond History. January 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  13. 1 2 Metz 1999, p. 275.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Weaving the Story: The People of Hueco Tanks". Texas Beyond History. January 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  15. ↑ Metz 1993, p. 262.
  16. ↑ Metz 1993, p. 263.
  17. ↑ Metz 1999, p. 276.
  18. ↑ Sutherland 1996, p. 9.
  19. 1 2 Knight, Bill (2 June 2017). "Hueco Tanks closes areas to protect pictographs". El Paso Times. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  20. 1 2 Sutherland 1996, p. 13.
  21. ↑ Sutherland 1996, p. 6.
  22. 1 2 Sutherland 1996, p. 4.
  23. ↑ Sutherland 1996, p. 3.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 "Explorations and Archeological Investigations". Texas Beyond History. January 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  25. 1 2 3 4 Zimmer 2002, p. 1.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Natural Setting: A Rocky Oasis in the Desert". Texas Beyond History. January 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  27. ↑ Konate, a Kiowa was wounded at Hueco Tanks during an 1839 ambush by Mexican militia. Konate survived to return to his home in Oklahoma, where the story was preserved.
  28. ↑ Forrest Kirkland & W.W. Newcomb (1967), Rock Art of the Texas Indians, Austin: University of Texas Press. Kirkland distinguishes two different styles of mask: 1) the outline mask 2) the solid mask.
  29. ↑ Interpretive Center, Orientation Video, Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, 2009-12-26
  30. ↑ Spadefoot toads have re-spawned in Hueco Tanks, September 2010, due to the heavy monsoon rains this year. —Ed Woton, Interpretive Guide, Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, Oct 17, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site Nature — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department". tpwd.texas.gov.
  32. ↑ "Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site Nature — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  33. ↑ "Rock Climbing Routes in Hueco Tanks State Historic Site, West Texas". RockClimbing.com. Retrieved 2017-06-15.
  34. ↑ "Hueco Rock Rodeo - Destination El Paso | El Paso, Texas". visitelpaso.com. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  35. ↑ "Hueco Tanks Public Use Plan Under Review". Rock and Ice. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  36. ↑ "Public Use Plan 2000" (PDF).
  37. ↑ "Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site Park Activities — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-27.
  38. ↑ "Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site Campsites — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department". tpwd.texas.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-27.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudspeth County, Texas</span> County in Texas, United States

Hudspeth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,202. Its county seat is Sierra Blanca, and the largest community is Fort Hancock. The county is named for Claude Benton Hudspeth, a state senator and United States Representative from El Paso. It is northeast of the Mexico–U.S. border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paso, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

El Paso is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the U.S., the most populous city in West Texas, and the sixth-most populous city in Texas. The city has also the largest Hispanic population share of main cities in the U.S. with 81% of its population being Hispanic. Its metropolitan statistical area covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas, and had a population of 868,859 in 2020. El Paso has consistently been ranked as one of the safest large cities in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo Duro Canyon</span> Texas panhandle escarpment

Palo Duro Canyon is a canyon system of the Caprock Escarpment located in the Texas Panhandle near the cities of Amarillo and Canyon. As the second-largest canyon in the United States, it is roughly 120 mi (190 km) long and has an average width of 6 mi (9.7 km), but reaches a width of 20 mi (32 km) at places. Its depth is around 800 ft (240 m), but in some locations, it increases to 1,000 ft (300 m). Palo Duro Canyon has been named "The Grand Canyon of Texas" both for its size and for its dramatic geological features, including the multicolored layers of rock and steep mesa walls, which are similar to those in the Grand Canyon. It is part of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Capitan (Texas)</span> Mountain in the US state of Texas

El Capitan is a peak in Culberson County, Texas, located within Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The 10th-highest peak in Texas at 8,085 ft, El Capitan is part of the Guadalupe Mountains, an exposed portion of a Permian period reef uplifted and exposed by tectonic activity during the late Cretaceous period. The southern terminus of the Guadalupe Mountains, El Capitan looms over U.S. 62/180, where its imposing height and stark outline have made it one of the iconic images of the Trans-Pecos to generations of travelers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mogollon culture</span> Prehistoric culture of the southwest United States and northern Mexico

Mogollon culture is an archaeological culture of Native American peoples from Southern New Mexico and Arizona, Northern Sonora and Chihuahua, and Western Texas. The northern part of this region is Oasisamerica, while the southern span of the Mogollon culture is known as Aridoamerica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragoon Mountains</span> Landform in Cochise County, Arizona

The Dragoon Mountains are a range of mountains located in Cochise County, Arizona. The range is about 25 mi (40 km) long, running on an axis extending south-south east through Willcox. The name originates from the 3rd U.S. Cavalry Dragoons who battled the Chiricahua, including Cochise, during the Apache Wars. The Dragoons established posts around 1856 after the Gadsden Purchase made it a U.S. territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Mountains State Park</span> Texas state park in El Paso, Texas

Franklin Mountains State Park is a Texas state park in El Paso, Texas, that protects the Franklin Mountains. Park headquarters are located at an elevation of 5,426 feet (1,654 m) with the highest peak, North Franklin Mountain, reaching 7,192 feet (2,192 m). It is one of the largest urban parks in the nation lying completely within city limits, covering 24,247.56 acres (9,813 ha). Franklin Mountains State Park is open year-round for recreational hiking, mountain biking, picnicking and scenic driving and vistas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Parks and Wildlife Department</span> Texas state agency

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Richardson (Texas)</span> State park and historic site in Texas, United States

Fort Richardson was a United States Army installation located in present-day Jacksboro, Texas. Named in honor of Union General Israel B. Richardson, who died in the Battle of Antietam during the American Civil War, it was active from 1867 to 1878. Today, the site, with a few surviving buildings, is called Fort Richardson State Park, Historic Site and Lost Creek Reservoir State Trailway. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963 for its role in securing the state's northern frontier in the post-Civil War era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otero Mesa</span>

Otero Mesa is a plateau in the Trans-Pecos. The plateau extends north from Hudspeth County, Texas into Otero County, New Mexico. Otero Mesa is the dominant landform in Hudspeth County, composing 70% of its land area. Otero Mesa has a more limited extant in Otero County, NM. Overall, 2/3 of Otero Mesa are in Texas, but the colloquial usage of "Otero Mesa" is restricted to the component of the plateau in New Mexico. This is only a political distinction; Otero Mesa is physiographically continuous across the NM-TX state line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oliver Lee Memorial State Park</span>

Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is a state park of New Mexico, United States, whose two tracts preserve a canyon in the Sacramento Mountains and Oliver Lee's historic 19th-century ranch house. The 640-acre (260 ha) park is located in Otero County at an elevation of 4,363 feet (1,330 m). It is situated at the base of Dog Canyon and provides opportunities for camping, hiking, picnicking, wildlife viewing, a nature trail, and guided tours of the ranch house.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magoffin Homestead</span> Historic house in Texas, United States

Magoffin Home is located in El Paso, Texas. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The surrounding area was declared the Magoffin Historic District on February 19, 1985. The home is now known as the Magoffin Home State Historic Site under the authority of the Texas Historical Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Franklin Mountain</span>

North Franklin Mountain is a mountain in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso, Texas, located in the Southwestern United States. North Franklin, at 7,192 feet (2,192 m), is the highest point in El Paso, and the 27th-highest mountain in the state of Texas. Surrounded by a state park and with a maintained trail leading to its summit, the mountain is a popular hiking destination. The eastern slope extends into Castner Range National Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bend Ranch State Park</span> State park in Texas, United States

Big Bend Ranch State Park is a 311,000-acre (126,000 ha) state park located on the Rio Grande in Brewster and Presidio counties, Texas. It is the largest state park in Texas. The closest major town is Presidio, Texas. The state park's head office is located in Lajitas, Texas at the Barton Warnock Visitor Center. It includes Colorado Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Park Road 68</span>

Texas Park Road 68 is a state park road in Hueco Tanks State Historic Site in El Paso County, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site</span> State park in Texas, United States

Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site is a state park in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located off U.S. Route 90, east of the Pecos River High Bridge, 9 miles (14 km) west of Comstock in Val Verde County. The park is conducive to camping, biking, bird watching, back packing and archeological study. Cave art and archeological artifacts date back to the earliest human habitation in the area. The park is part of the larger Seminole Canyon Archeological District on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Paso Museum of Archaeology</span> Archaeology museum in El Paso, Texas

The El Paso Museum of Archaeology presents information about the prehistory of the area surrounding El Paso, Texas. The museum is located in Wilderness Park, and is adjacent to the National Border Patrol Museum at the base of the Franklin Mountains, surrounded by Castner Range National Monument. It is located near several archaeological sites, including rock art in the Franklin Mountains and Mogollon pueblo sites. The museum attracts about 42,000 visitors every year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devils River State Natural Area</span> Protected area in Texas, United States

Devils River State Natural Area is a 37,000-acre (15,000 ha) section of three ecosystems, the Edwards Plateau, the Tamaulipan mezquital and the Chihuahuan Desert. It is located 66 miles (106 km) north of Del Rio, Val Verde County in the U.S. state of Texas. In 1857, future Confederate General John Bell Hood and a small U.S. Cavalry force skirmished with a group of Comanche braves along the banks of the Devil's River. In 1873, Texas Ranger Captain Pat Dolan had a skirmish with Native Americans, at the falls named for him. Dolan Falls in the natural area is the highest volume waterfall in Texas. The area was once home to the Comanche, Kiowa and Kickapoo tribes. Pictographs painted with red panthers are found in the area's fifty-three rock shelters, which archeologists have dated to 3000 b.c.. The "Buffalo dancer" pictograph depicts a Native American.

The Hueco Rock Rodeo is a bouldering competition held annually in February at Hueco Tanks State Historic Site in the extremities of El Paso, Texas. It is highly competitive and attracts professional rock climbers from all over the world. The proceeds go toward conservation and access. The extreme competition was not the original intention of the event but with the growing popularity of bouldering, it has turned into one of the most difficult and coveted competitions to win. After 20+ years it is still a mainstay in the climbing community and is as much a festival as it is a serious competition.

The culture of El Paso, Texas is influenced both heavily by American and Mexican cultures due to its position as a border town, its large Hispanic population, and its history as part of the Southwest, Spanish America and Mexico. El Paso is home to a number of cultural events and festivals. El Paso also hosts various theaters, museums, and other cultural sites.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.