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Hueco Tanks SPHS

@huecotanksstatepark

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Highlighting the Natural, Cultural, and Recreational features of this Sacred Site.

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We had a beautiful time at this years annual Hueco Tanks fair. This is one of our favorite events of the year! We can't wait until next year to see all our friends again and celebrate nature through song, dance, tradition, and friendship. ✨️

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Beautiful 🌟 Sunday @conservationep spent at 🪨@huecotanksstatepark for the 32nd Annual Community Fair 💚☀️ thank you for including us and giving us the opportunity to connect with our community 🙏🏻🙌🏻 engaging guests of all ages 🥰 fostering environmental stewardship because our beautiful planet 🌎 needs us more than ever 😑 #conservationthroughconnection

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Thank you to @huecotanksstatepark for the invitation! 🧡 #folklorico #baile #huecotanks #cultura #vivamexico

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We had the BEST time yesterday at the 32nd Annual Hueco Tanks Community Fair! 🥾🌎

There’s nothing we love more than being out in nature, connecting with our community, sharing our passion for animals, and inspiring others to discover the wonders of the natural world while enjoying the beauty of the park!🌿

A HUGE thank you to the incredible team @huecotanksstatepark for bringing our community together and letting us be part of such a wonderful day! 🙌

#ConservationThroughConnection #HuecoTanksStatePark #CommunityConnections #OutsideIsBetter

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Update: it was a close round! Señor Squirrelio put up a good fight, but Acornosaurus Rex is our winner! Voting for round one has officially closed. We will post results soon. ‼️Fat Squirrel Week 2026 is officially here! 👑
We’re kicking things off with elimination round one: @dinovalleysp vs. @huecotanksstatepark !

Before you meet our contestants, here’s how to vote:
👍🏻 Like, comment, or tag a friend under the PHOTO of your favorite squirrel! Each reaction or comment counts as a vote.
👎🏻 Votes made in the main comment section of the post WILL NOT count unless you mention the squirrel you're voting for!
⏰ VOTING CLOSES AT 6PM TONIGHT! Check back later after voting closes to see the winner.

Now let's meet the competition:
From the place where dinos once roamed, we have Dinosaur Valley’s Acornosaurus Rex, King of the Acorns, ready to defend his family's legacy as the roundest squirrel in all the land! 👑🦕

AND

All the way from the West Texas town of El Paso, we have Hueco Tanks’ Señor Squirrelio, who is here to say, “I know I be lookin' fit, but it ain't my fault mesquite beans are basically a health food” #doyouevenliftbruh 🌱🤠

✅ Vote for your favorite #FatSquirrel2026 and may the best squirrel win!

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The first day of the 32nd Annual Hueco Tanks Community Fair took place at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site on Oct. 17. 🎉

Families, environmental organizations and nature lovers all came together to celebrate the 34-million-year-old igneous rock formation and its sacred history. 🪨🌳

Displays of local wildlife and geology, performances, presentations, and guided tours of the tanks gave fairgoers an adventurous and educational experience as they learned about the impact of this unique rock formation in the Chihuahuan Desert. 🏜️🔭

📸: Grayson Rawlings @0bscurrra

#mineromagazine #utepminers #huecotanks #eptxlocal #elpaso915

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@huecotanksstatepark has an awesome community events this weekend from 10 to 2. They will also have it tomorrow. Lots of fun activies and goodies for the kiddos

Totally Annie's Adventures Approved! Tell them I sent ya 😉

#elpaso #anniesadventures #elpasotexas #elpasolocal #elpasoproud

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Week 2: Sand dunes, ancient stories, and the reality of life on the road 🌻
We started the week at Monahans Sandhills State Park, where the wind has shaped the landscape into what felt like a dream. I kept expecting to reach the top of a dune and see the ocean… except we were in West Texas! 😂

We were surrounded by gorgeous sand dunes, yellow wildflowers, and monarch butterflies.

And of course, we had to rent the sleds and give sand sledding a try. Because why not?

Then we headed farther west to Hueco Tanks State Park, and the scenery gave way to something just as incredible: thousands of years of human history.

The natural rock basins, or *huecos* (Spanish for “hollows”), collect precious rainwater in this otherwise dry landscape. People have been coming here for more than 10,000 years. Generations of Indigenous people left pictographs on the rocks, including the Jornada Mogollon, who lived here as farmers around 1150 AD. The site remains deeply meaningful to several Native American communities today.

We explored North Mountain, scrambling among enormous boulders and discovering ancient images tucked into the rock shelters. Other areas require guided tours to protect their fragile cultural resources. It was one of those places that makes you slow down and really think about all the people who stood right where you’re standing, thousands of years before you.

In the 1850s, Hueco Tanks also became a relay station for the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach because of its reliable water supply. Later travelers left their own marks on the rocks, including historic inscriptions that now sit alongside the much older artwork. It’s a powerful reminder of why protecting places like this matters.

We explored North Mountain, scrambling among enormous boulders and discovering ancient images tucked into the rock shelters. Other areas require guided tours to protect their fragile cultural resources. It was one of those places that makes you slow down and really think about all the people who stood right where you’re standing, thousands of years before you.

And our campsite? Pretty spectacular, too. Not a bad place to call home for a few days!

Now we’re wrapping up W

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🌵 TEXAS STATE PARKS DAY IS COMING!

Mark your calendars: Sunday, November 1, 2026 is Texas State Parks Day! 🤠🌵

For ONE DAY, you can enjoy FREE DAY-USE ENTRY to more than 85 Texas state parks and experience some of the incredible places that make the Lone Star State so wild, diverse, and beautiful. 🌅🥾🦖

And there’s even more happening in the parks that day! 👇

🦖 Dinosaur Valley State Park — 11 AM
Overlook Hike — Join a ranger for a guided hike to a scenic overlook.

🐦 Brazos Bend State Park — 8 AM
Birding Hike — Explore a park that’s home to more than 300 species of birds.

🐸 Enchanted Rock State Natural Area — 9 AM
Frog Pond Frolic — A ranger-led hike exploring the aquatic life around Frog Pond.

🌲 Stephen F. Austin State Park — 10 AM
Forest Bathing — A guided, meditative hike inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku.

💀 Fort Leaton State Historic Site
Día de los Muertos — Experience cultural traditions honoring the families who called Fort Leaton home.

🪨 Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site
Pictograph Tours — Explore ancient rock art and more than 10,000 years of human history. Reservations required.

…and that’s only a sampling of what’s happening across Texas!

🥾 A LITTLE TIP BEFORE YOU GO:

Free entry doesn’t necessarily mean guaranteed entry.

Popular parks can reach capacity, so TPWD recommends reserving a “Save the Day” pass ahead of time to guarantee your spot.

So grab your hiking boots, load up the family, find your favorite four-legged adventure buddy 🐕, and go see what Texas has waiting for you.

Because sometimes the best adventures are hiding just down the road. ❤️🌲

#travel #texas #travelcouple #travelgram #hiking

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Hueco tanks with the buds. 🫂

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Saturday will be the first day of our fifth season. Come take a stand and eat a hot dog. @scrappergus hosting the karaoke🤙 #divebar #karaoke #hueco #community

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