The Window [Suggest Edits]

Description

Perched atop a precipitous cliff high upon the Franklin Mountains, The Window is the highlight of El Paso's most famous route, the Ron Coleman Trail. As popular as the trail is, most visitors aren't willing to put in the effort of reaching this interesting feature. A natural, roughly two by three foot hole in the sedimentary rock, it is found after twenty feet of either climbing or descending the western face. Those who do are rewarded with a dizzying view of the east slope of the Franklins, stretching out to Cerro Alto and the Hueco Mountains. Looking in the other direction, the Chihuahuan Desert spreads out far into New Mexico. The combined view is well over a hundred miles.

Half-Day Hike: Parking is found at either end of the Ron Coleman Trail, and with The Window almost exactly in the middle, it's a toss up as to which route is the shorter one. Most people choose to take the trail north, from McKelligon Canyon. The advantage in this direction is that the difficult chain-assisted portions are done as a climb instead of a descent. An experienced climber won't have much trouble going in either direction.

In any case, making Ron Coleman a one-way trip will either require a vehicle at the other end or completing a full loop via the Transmountain Summit, Thunderbird, and McKelligon Saddle trails.

Gem Type: Viewpoint