Agave Loop

Dogs Unknown

Features Views

The trails around the Franklin Mountains are often rocky and technical, so users unfamiliar with rough terrain should use caution. Trail shoes with rock plates are strongly recommended.

El Paso is in the desert, so plan around the climate. Summers are regularly in the 90's or above; winters will drop to the 30's and 40's. Lightning storms are frequent in the late afternoons during the warmer months. Winds are frequent and gusts over 50 mph are not unusual. Dust storms in the late spring can be hazardous and reduce visibility to less than a quarter mile. Check the weather before you go, and let someone know where you will be.

Footing can be very difficult in the scree fields of this trail, particularly in wet conditions. Slow down and use caution.

For runners interested in connecting to Mundy's Gap, Agave Loop is a better option than the talus fields of West Cottonwood Spring. The path splits off immediately after the latter's trailhead and starts in a similar manner - wide and rocky.

After passing a sheltered picnic area, the trail turns off to the left as a narrower dirt singletrack. A shortcut straight ahead makes a steep climb, while the nicer main trail hairpins up the side of a foothill, passing by agave, lechugillas and sotols as it goes. After the two rejoin, another shortcut is available to the left; again, the longer path is the nicer run.

The trail soon crests the foothill at a large clearing. This is a launching area for a local paragliding club, and a nice view of west El Paso spreads out to the west. A small rock cairn marks the beginning point of Upper Agave to the southeast; this trail completes the climb to the top of West Cottonwood Spring and connects to the difficult but scenic North Franklin Peak.

Continue past the launching area to the northeast. The remainder of the trail is still somewhat rocky, but flattens out as it overlooks a canyon. Two scree crossings are ahead, both about twenty feet long. Footing through these areas is difficult and runners should slow down in the interest of safety.

After the second crossing, Agave Loop merges into West Cottonwood Spring a hundred feet before the beginning of Mundy's Gap. A sign marks where the trails split. For runners starting on Agave Loop from this end, look to the left for where the trail follows the mountain contour instead of continuing down into the canyon.

Desert plants tend to bloom in waves in spring and summer after the short periods of rain that El Paso experiences. Ocotillo tend to turn green and blossom first, followed by barrel and claret cup cacti, and finally flowers and prickly pears.

Animals are mostly limited to jackrabbits, lizards, and small birds. Roadrunners will dart across the trail at times, and hawks circle overhead, looking for prey. Coyotes are hard to spot and tend to only come out after dusk, though they leave visitors alone.

Keep an eye out for snakes. They avoid the hot desert sun and are more common during the winter months. Most are harmless, but rattlers are a part of the local wildlife. Give them a wide berth, and if they're blocking the trail, tossing a few rocks in their direction tends to be enough incentive for them to leave.