Scenic Drive

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'm gonna give it to you straight. Way back in 1881, the leaders of El Paso were already dreaming out loud about a place along the base of the Franklin Mountains, somewhere a person could stand and take in the whole panorama spread out below. That's a vision that sat on the shelf for nearly forty years, just waiting for the right moment.

And the moment came on four wheels. Once the automobile rolled into the picture, that old idea got a second wind. By 1920, the city council and Mayor Charles Davis had approved construction, and folks got to work.

They finished it that October. Scenic Drive, done and open, stretching 1.82 miles along those rocky slopes, climbing up to an elevation of 4,222 feet, sitting a full 500 feet above the Rio Grande. Think about that.

You're standing up there, the desert air around you, and down below you've got El Paso on one side and Ciudad Juárez on the other, the Chihuahuan desert rolling out in every direction like something painted just for the occasion. It became a popular attraction right away. But the story didn't stop there.

In 1932, the city contracted to widen and pave the road, giving it a little more dignity. Then in 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps Company 855 out of Fort Bliss came through and carried out additional culvert work, shoring up what nature was always trying to reclaim. All that effort, across all those decades, just to protect one view.

And you know what? Scenic Drive is still out there, still pulling visitors to that same overlook, still delivering on a promise El Paso made to itself back in 1881.

What the marker says

Scenic Drive As early as 1881, El Paso leaders promoted the idea of creating a place along the base of the Franklin Mountains to provide visitors a panoramic view of the area. The automobile brought new attention to the idea, and in 1920, the city council and Mayor Charles Davis approved construction of a scenic drive. Finished in October 1920, the route became a popular attraction. The 1.82-mile drive reaches an elevation of 4,222 feet, 500 feet above the Rio Grande. In 1932, the city contracted to widen and pave the road, and in 1934, Civilian Conservation Corps Company 855 (Fort Bliss) carried out additional culvert work. Scenic Drive continues to attract visitors to the view of El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and the surrounding Chihuahuan desert. (2004)