Cardiac Hill
- 2.0 mi
- round trip
- 700 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–Apr
- best months
Cardiac Hill is a mountain biking climb in Franklin Mountains State Park in Texas, managed by State Park and Recreation. The route is an out-and-back that starts and ends at about 4,238 feet, with a high point of 4,633 feet. The total climb is 700 feet, and the steepest stretch comes within the first 0.07 miles, with a grade of about 12 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in El Paso show April highs around 80°F and October highs around 79°F, while July and August average in the mid-90s with more wet days. Several other mountain biking routes sit close by, including Lazy Cow at 0.7 miles, Lost Cow at 0.9 miles and The Maze at 1 mile. Climbers can find Hidden Canyon, upper/west Indian Springs Canyon about 2.4 miles away.
Best time to go · Oct–Apr
Best time to visit Cardiac Hill
Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
59° / 34°
3 wet · 1 snow
Feb
64° / 39°
3 wet
Mar
72° / 46°
2 wet
Apr
80° / 53°
1 wet
May
89° / 62°
2 wet
Jun
97° / 71°
4 wet
Jul
96° / 73°
8 wet
Aug
94° / 72°
8 wet
Sep
88° / 65°
5 wet
Oct
79° / 54°
4 wet
Nov
67° / 42°
3 wet
Dec
58° / 34°
4 wet · 1 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at El Paso Intl Ap, TX, 9.3 mi away at 3,918 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
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Lazy Cow
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2.54-mile out-and-back singletrack in Texas with 112 ft of elevation gain.
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Gasline Road
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Lost Cow
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1.57-mile out-and-back singletrack in Texas with 137 ft of elevation gain.
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The Maze
~2 min drive
1.05-mile out-and-back singletrack with 74 ft gain in Texas.
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Antler Run
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2.68-mile out-and-back singletrack with 265 ft gain in Texas.
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Polecat Alley
~3 min drive
1.03-mile out-and-back singletrack with 148 ft gain in Texas.
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Blue Moon Road
~3 min drive
1.23-mile singletrack out-and-back with 184 ft elevation gain in Texas.
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Mad Cow
~4 min drive
Mad Cow is a 2.23-mile out-and-back trail in Texas with 482 ft of elevation gain.
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Scenic Road
~4 min drive
2.09-mile out-and-back singletrack with 969 ft gain in Texas.
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Sotol Forest
~5 min drive
1.89-mile out-and-back singletrack with 466 ft gain in Texas.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
