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)
Scenic Drive
The roadside stories worth pulling over for.
Scenic Drive is a historical marker in El Paso, El Paso County, dedicated in 2003. It is one of 94 historical markers documented in El Paso County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 140 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 31.7827, -106.4796 near El Paso. The nearest cataloged historic site is The Rainmakers of 1891 (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include First Presbyterian Church of El Paso, El Paso High School, and Turner Home.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5141013138. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
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