El Paso County High Point Trip Report

North Franklin Mountain (7,192 ft)

Date: February 18, 2000
Author: Andy Martin

I left Tucson on Friday, and reached the huge road cut (over 100 feet deep) a couple miles south of this peak before noon. I parked at about 5,300' elevation in the picnic area. I headed uphill, and soon found a good trail. It eventually reaches the main ridge crest at about 6,000', where a rock shelter is found. From here the trail quality deteriorates to a lot of rock hopping as it stays right on the ridge crest as it continues to the top.

The summit is bulldozed flat, and a cement pouring may mark the former USGS BM location (now missing). One small tower is at the top, with solar panels and a heavy iron locked base. No register was found so I built a cairn and stashed a TX list in a bottle. Mark Nichols found it on his hike up the next day.

A jeep road heads off to the north, but is probably off limits to traffic, as there were no indications of recent jeep visits. Ate lunch, enjoyed the views, and then carefully headed downhill over the rocks back to the car.