Places in Texas: The Hueco Mountains
On a recent weekend I decided to take a trip to climb Alamo Mountain which is a dormant mountain that rises above the desert grasslands of the Otero Mesa just north of the Texas state line in New Mexico. Alamo Mountain lies in a very remote area about 75 miles east of El Paso, which is accessed only by sparsely driven dirt roads:
The first dirt road to reach the mountain is the Hueco Ranch Road off of US Highway 180/62 that traverses the Hueco Mountains that lie to the east of El Paso. These rolling sometimes rugged mountains is home to few people and the remains of prior settlements in the mountains can still be seen today:
I have no idea what this building once was, but it is definitely interesting to see while driving along the road. The Hueco Mountains forms the western edge of what is known as the Otero Mesa. This vast mesa is mostly flat with a few peaks from the Huecos rising from the west. The biggest peak is the highest point in the Huecos called Cerro Alto Mountain:
Cerro Alto Mountain may be the highest point in the Huecos, but it is also one of the tallest mountains in all of Texas with an altitude of 6,787 feet:
This striking mountain is composed of Permian limestone that is estimated to be 250 million years old:
This is how this prominent peak looks on Google Earth:
It may appear that this desolate area would have little wildlife, but with careful observation it is possible to see plenty of wildlife on the mesa such as this road runner:
This road runner quickly took off after I took this lone picture, but it was still quite cool to see. As I drove by the mountain I could see the Hueco Ranch sitting at the base of the mountain. There was plenty of “No Trespassing” and “Keep Out” signs posted around their large property, which indicated to me that hiking up this mountain was forbidden:
If anyone knows if it is possible to hike up this mountain please leave a comment and let me know. Here is one last look at Cerro Alto Mountain from the Texas side of the border:
Notice how much larger Cerro Alto Mountain is compared to the rest of the smaller hills that make up the Hueco Mountains. From here the Hueco Ranch Road crosses into New Mexico and becomes County Road F001 which traverses the vast Otero Mesa and my final destination of Alamo Mountain.
Next Posting: Crossing the Otero Mesa
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About The Author
Dobbs
I am a avid hiker with a love for travel and the outdoors. I currently call the Evergreen State of Washington my home.
That building was built for the movie "Last Man Standing" and there is at least one other movie set building (an west house) that is left that is a few miles away on the ranch.
Thanks for the comment because I was wondering what that building was. I wonder why they left that one building standing there after the movie?
That building gets set on fire towards the end of "Last Man Standing" (Bruce Willis starred in the movie…not my kind of movie though but it shows a lot of the ranch). There is another movie set about 4 miles to the east (but you can't see it from Gary Lee Ave since hills are in the way). That one had some other buildings connected to it from what I can see, kind of like an old west town but those buildings were torn down. I wish they had left the entire strip of the buildings. The Hueco Ranch belongs… Read more »
From my past experiences with the Turner Ranch they do not allow anyone to hike or travel through their property. Don’t know their reasons but I know firsthand they don’t allow anyone on there. The Alamo Mountain is a nice hike in itself and you will enjoy it very much. Good sturdy hiking boots are a must with all the rugged terrain.
lgoose50, thanks for the comment. I would assume that there is liability concerns of people getting hurt hiking up the mountain. That is understandable.
I did enjoy my hike up Alamo Mountain. If you click the link at the bottom of the posting you can read the posting I did on Alamo Mountain. Some fantastic views from the summit. Thanks for visiting the site.
Marilyn: I realize this is a stretch, but it is Sept. 16, 2010 and I just returned from the Mesa, and the Hueco Ranch area. I do research on the two gas well pads near Alamo Mountain. I was near Hueco Ranch this morning and picked up a stray puppy. An adorable 9 or 10 week old black lab. I’ve been calling around to border patrol and the Hudspeth Co. Sheriff trying to find someone who might have contact with the ranchers of Otero Mesa. One of the border patrol agents mentioned that the land where I found the puppy… Read more »
It’s 2011, not 2010…
Lori: Hueco Ranch has a sales office because it sells 10 acre lots for private homes. That would be the best bet for finding out who you might call. There are a 100 or so (wild guess) private home owners on 5-10 and bigger acre lots on the ranch also and one of those places could have lost the puppy. The sales office is on the corner of Montana Ave (HWY 62) and Hueco Ranch Rd. It’s phone number is 915 856 8966. There usually seems to be someone there during normal work hours (not sure if that includes weekends).… Read more »
Marilyn: Thank you SO MUCH for the info. I’ve seen the office there, but never really realized what it was. I will be back up on the Mesa this Monday and will bring the puppy with me. He has been such a sweet puppy, seems to be pretty much house broken, which has been a bonus for my husband and I. However, we have to elderly dogs, one who will likely not live more than another month or so and he is NOT getting along with the puppy. It’s not fair of us to stress out our old guy. I’ll… Read more »
Thanks for the great information. I was out there last weekend trying to climb Cerro Alto, but like you said, lots of fences and signs. Too bad we can’t climb it. I expect there are great views of east El Paso and the Cornudas mountains.
[…] On Walkabout Across: Texas’ Hueco Mountains | On WalkaboutLOCATION: Hudspeth County, TX SIZE: 1.32 MW COMMERCIAL OPERATION DATE: March 2001 UTILITY: El Paso Electric TURBINE EQUIPMENT: 2 Vestas … […]