Chamizal Loop

Here’s a 40-mile ride that takes you around much of Central, Northeast and Eastside El Paso, with a healthy mix of climbing, speed and city touring.

This was an El Paso Bicycle Club ride that started at the Chamizal National Memorial -- until we found out that the parking lot was off-limits that day, so we actually started in the Bowie High School parking lot just across the street.

The first stage of the ride involves a lot of climbing. Head through Central El Paso via Paisano/Cotton/Yandell (there are several options here) to Brown, which is a steep road up the leading edge of the Franklin Mountains that connects you to Scenic Drive. Scenic Drive offers a great rest stop at the top, looking out over El Paso and Juarez.

Stay on Scenic and at the east end you turn left on Alabama, which will provide plenty of rollers as it runs along the east slope of the Franklins, turning into Magnetic before ending at Hondo Pass. The convenience store there is a good refueling point before the steep descent to U.S. 54. This also begins the “speed” section of the ride, with long uninterrupted stretches of highway.

You’ll go north on the Gateway to Woodrow Bean Transmountain Road and turn right. Just before Dyer, get on the on-ramp (from the left lane) to Loop 375.

Loop 375 curves to the southeast. It’s pretty much a freeway, but has a wide (but debris-filled) bike lane. Exit at Spur 601 (Liberty Expressway; signs also indicate this as the El Paso Int’l Airport exit) and turn right, then left on Global Reach. At Montana, Global Reach turns into Yarbrough. This begins the city tour of the ride, running through Eastside and Lower Valley/South Central neighborhoods.

You can stay on Yarbrough all the way to North Loop; or shave a little distance off the ride by cutting through via Montwood/Viscount/Hawkins/Tony Lama and zigzag through an industrial park to get to North Loop. North Loop connects to Delta at a 3-way stoplight. Then there’s another tricky intersection ahead -- watch the signs carefully -- it’s easy to get on Paisano or Alameda by mistake.

Assuming you manage to stay on Delta, you will get back to San Marcial just east of Downtown to return to your starting point.


http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/39912204