Franklin Mountains Fluorspar District — El Paso County

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Franklin Mountains Fluorspar District — El Paso County

Gold Mining Site TX • El Paso County County
Description
The Franklin Mountains of El Paso County host fluorspar and Precambrian pegmatite mineralization — TSHA groups the range with Trans-Pecos districts where gold traces occur in associated ores.
Historical Notes
TSHA reports fluorspar occurrences in the Franklin Mountains of El Paso County alongside Chinati, Quitman, and Christmas Mountains deposits. State gold summaries include trace occurrences with other minerals in Howard, Taylor, Irion, and Trans-Pecos counties. Franklin Mountains State Park preserves tin-mine ruins and Precambrian geology above El Paso. This is not a recreational placer district; gold interest is historical trace metal in regional ore suites, not nugget hunting. The range dominates the Pass of the North where the Rio Grande breaks through — El Paso smelters historically processed ore from Presidio, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties. Coordinates mark the Franklin Mountains above El Paso. Follow state park regulations.
Status / Verification historical_site — Verified

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