The long-awaited renewal of one of El Paso's most beloved landmarks is underway. With $27 million in funding secured from the Texas Legislature, a new tram at Franklin Mountains State Park, located right next to the historic (but no longer operational) Wyler Aerial Tramway, is on track to carry visitors to the top of Ranger Peak, where they can take in panoramic views of two countries and three states.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, in partnership with the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority, will do the work in two phases. Phase I, funded through $20 million in legislative appropriations over the past three sessions, has begun and will deliver expanded parking, improved accessibility, upgraded restrooms and new visitor amenities, laying the groundwork for a completely reimagined experience at the base of the Franklin Mountains.
In the most recent 2025 legislative session, lawmakers approved an additional $7 million to jump-start Phase II, which will include construction of a modern tramway system, visitor center, aerial station and expanded trails and facilities. A key partner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, will lead a private fundraising effort to raise an additional $5 million to $7 million in philanthropic support, along with support from TPWD, to help complete Phase II.
“The Legislature’s investment ensures that this iconic attraction — so loved by generations of El Pasoans — will rise again,” says Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Paul Foster. “The tramway connects us not only to the grandeur of the Franklin Mountains, but also to the sense of pride that comes with being a Texan.”
TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz praised the collaboration — state leadership, local support and private philanthropy — that brought the project to this point. “The existing Wyler Aerial Tramway was an engineering feat for its time; it’s a symbol of how Texans work together to make great things happen. The new tramway, right next door to the original, will again tap into that can-do spirit.”
Originally constructed in 1959 by El Paso broadcaster Karl Wyler and donated to TPWD in 1997, the tramway quickly became one of El Paso’s top attractions, welcoming more than 40,000 visitors annually before it closed in 2018 due to safety concerns. For generations of El Pasoans, the tramway was more than a ride up a mountain. It was where families
went to see their home from a new perspective, where visitors marveled at desert vistas and where the boundaries between Texas, Mexico and New Mexico seemed to dissolve into one shared landscape.
The new tramway will feature a state-of-the-art tram system, improved accessibility and enhanced visitor amenities — all designed to honor the site’s history while inspiring new generations to experience the rugged beauty of West Texas from above.
