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Summary: Park in picnic area 1-5. Hike west on the paved road to the trailhead kiosk. Follow the trail west and down-hill to about 0.65 miles where the trail will turn north (right). Continue north on the trail. The trail will wind in and out of the arroyos. At the fork, hikers and novice bikers take the right side. Extreme bikers go left. At 2.80 miles the trail reaches its lowest point. At 3.54 miles there will be a trail junction. Follow the right trail, DO NOT take the arroyo. There are clearly marked signs. At 4.07 miles intersect the main trail, Follow this trail uphill to the parking lot at the end loop. Trailhead: From the junction of I-10 and Trans-Mountain road, go east on Trans-Mountain road 3.8 miles. Turn left at the park entrance. Stop and pay the park fee at the gate, or proceed to the ranger booth as the signs direct. Once past the ranger booth, proceed into the park and turn left at the first paved road going left. Follow the paved road up and park in the parking area on the right. The trailhead is at the west end of the parking area. (Lat:31.91384 Lon:-106.51669) Trail Guides for FMSP - Lower Sunset Trail: Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Ranger Contact: Texas Parks and Wildlife, Franklin Mountain State Park. (915) 566-6441 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Michael P. Olbrisch, who has posted 71 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Submit your own review The current park maps say this trail is 5.6 miles, not 4.6. It is a fairly easy hike, deceptively so at first. There are a few steep portions, but it's mostly flat. The trail is mostly gravel/dirt, but there are some portions with exposed bedrock or large rocks. This is a one-way trail, but taking Upper Sunset back makes for a nice morning or afternoon hike (about 3 hours, 7 miles). Beautiful hike. Very nice scenery. Enjoyed the company. A nice breeze was going to keep us cooler. Was a little strenous for me (totally out of shape). Practice makes perfect so many more hikes are planned. Nice hike with some pretty views. I hiked it today (June 6, 2010 - high temp supposed to be 108F) and it was already terribly hot by 9am. The arroyos had no air movement and the temperature was at least 5-7 degrees (F) higher than when on the sides or tops of the small ridges lining the arroyos. Despite the heat, it was a beautiful hike. The stillness - almost always a feature on Franklin MSP hikes - was even more pronounced because of the heat. That in itself was enjoyable - utter quiet. I used about twice as much water as I usually do on such hikes. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Texas Hiking, Texas Trails, Texas Hikes, El Paso County Hiking, El Paso County Trails, El Paso County Hikes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||