The $500,000 Franklin Mountains gateway debuts next Thursday with a free evening hike led by The Frontera Land Alliance.

A travel journalist hiked into hundreds of Texas brown tarantulas on Big Bend's Lost Mine Trail — and the encounter is a mating-season ritual, not a threat.

New sidewalks, shelters and LED lighting are headed to the 1.2-acre Fabens park, part of a year-long overhaul.

The $1.29 million overhaul adds park benches and glow-in-the-dark sidewalks, finishing in early 2027 in East El Paso.

NMSU’s Alumni Pond is open again after a delayed restoration, but the recovering ecosystem comes with strict visitor rules.

El Paso Zoo is converting an underused Chihuahuan Desert exhibit into a behind-the-scenes breeding center for smaller endangered species; construction begins June 1. The space won’t be open for tours.

City officials say a peer‑mentor program, staff coaching and pavilion repairs are the backbone of a plan to restore the El Paso Zoo’s national accreditation. The city is also moving quickly on a director search and construction timeline.

Texas Parks and Wildlife added 1,054 acres to Franklin Mountains State Park, extending protection to Martin Luther King Boulevard and securing trailhead access.

Fort Bliss will convert part of Underwood Golf Course into a tournament-ready youth sports park with 10 turf fields and family amenities, officials say. The plan aims to keep weekend tournaments local and boost jobs.

El Paso broke ground on a $15M Phase II expansion at The Beast Urban Park, adding fields, courts and event amenities across roughly 650,000 square feet.

Biocontrol releases cut Arundo in spots, but funding fights and tangled agencies have left the giant reed choking the Rio Grande. Coordination and long-term monitoring remain the missing pieces.

El Paso County will hold a March 24 community meeting to review survey results and new renderings for Ascarate Park. Officials will present visuals and gather feedback before design advances.

Federal maps and filings indicate roughly 111–112 miles of a proposed Smart Wall through Big Bend National Park, prompting outcry from locals and conservationists. Critics warn of lasting harm to wildlife and tourism.