Hueco Tanks State Historic Site

Native American pictographs are found at the site.

Rock climbers are dwarfed by the height of a cliff face at Hueco Tanks.

One of the larger "tanks" at Hueco Tanks State Historic Site.

This 860-acre site 32 miles northeast of El Paso is named for the large rock basins, or "huecos" (pronounced way-coes), that have supplied trapped rainwater to settlers and travelers for millennia.

The pictographs that make the site famous include over 200 mask designs left by the prehistoric Jornada Mogollon culture.

Other fascinating images depict human and animal figures, as well as mythological designs. The newest drawings were made during the relatively recent era of the Mescalero Apaches.

Rock overhangs, food, wildlife, plants and water have attracted visitors to this land for centuries. Because of the water supply, there are wildlife and plants not normally found in this desert region.

Evidence of Anglo settlement is here too. The former Escontrias family ranch house is now the park's interpretive center.

This region of the Chihuahuan Desert is home to prairie falcons, golden eagles, roadrunners, foxes, coyotes, rattlesnakes and endangered horned lizards. Many creatures feed on the tiny translucent shrimp that "bloom" seasonally in the hueco basins.

Volunteers and staff discuss the natural and cultural history during guided tours.

Activities at Hueco Tanks include rock art viewing, rockclimbing and picnicking, as well as hiking and birdwatching.

Open fires and solid fuels are banned. Picnic stoves must use propane, butane or liquid fuels only.

Pets are allowed in the campground, parking areas and picnic area only.

The site is busiest during the winter months.

The area has limited access to enjoy the fragile resources.