Their jagged profile announces El Paso del Norte – the Pass of the North. The Franklin Mountains are the signature of Texas' only “mountain city.”

At 24,000 acres, El Paso's Franklin Mountains State Park is the largest urban park in the country. It's a unique resource – an outpost of wild Chihuahuan Desert, in the midst of a major city.

In east El Paso, the Wyler Aerial Tramway carries hundreds of visitors a day to the summit of Ranger Peak. The tramway was built for KTSM TV and radio. It opened to park visitors in 2001. The ascent showcases the Franklins' unique geology.

Diana Moy is a ranger at the Wyler Tramway.

“As we're going up the tramway, if you'll look down you...