Hueco Tanks State Historical Park

Hueco Tanks State Historical Park is a place where many tourists visit to learn about the Native Americans who inhabited the area thousands of years ago. The Park features three huge granite hills that rise to 450 feet above the desert floor and have on their surfaces prehistoric rock art.

Over the years, Hueco Tanks has served many purposes. After the Mexican War, when gold was discovered in California, several official expeditions were sent to open a road between Austin-San Antonio and El Paso to accommodate the many people who were traveling west in search of riches. On expedition went by way of Hueco Tanks and established what was later known as Upper Road. The Butterfield Overland Mail established a stagecoach station at Hueco Tanks in 1858 which was abandoned the next year. In the mid-1960’s El Paso County acquired Hueco Tanks and began operating it as a county park. On June 12, 1969 the county gave Hueco Tanks to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The Department purchased an additional 121 acres of land from Barney Wieland (who originally sold the land to the county), and Hueco Tanks State Historical Park was opened to the public in May 1970.

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